Three held for guns, drugs

The effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the city’s hotel district were reflected in the arrest of three persons in Garden Grove on Saturday night.

According to Lt. Carl Whitney of the GGPD, the trio faces a variety of charges, including being a convicted felon in possession of a stolen handgun, a convicted felon in possession of an AR-15-style rifle, a convicted felon in possession of ammunition and high capacity magazines, and possession of illegal narcotics

Arrested were:

• Luis A Zermeno, 25, of Fullerton
• Jessica Haffener, 50, of Carpinteria
• Abraham Magallon, 45, of Santa Ana.

At 7:21 p.m. on Oct. 17, GGPD officers were patrolling the parking lot of the Delta Hotel located at 12021 Harbor Blvd. According to Lt. Whitney, “There has been an increase of criminal activity in this area because of the low vacancies in the resort district.”

They noticed license plates on a parked Hyundai belonging to a BMW. Three suspects were near the vehicle and after seeing police, they drove away. Police stopped the vehicle, which was driven by Haffener, a convicted felon on probation. The right front passenger was identified as Zermeno, a convicted felon on active parole and with a gang affiliation, say police. The back seat passenger was Magallon, who is on probation from a felony robbery conviction and a gang affiliation, according to the GGPD.

Police say that during the stop, Zermeno ran from the officers and was taken into custody a short distance away. After handcuffing him, officers found a loaded 9mm pistol on him.  The gun had been reported stolen from another county. He also had “a large quantity of methamphetamine and heroin.

Haffener had rented several rooms at the Delta, where officers searching them found the AR-15-style rifle, ammunitions, high capacity magazines and illegal narcotics.

Police say they found methamphetamine on Magallon and issued him a citation.

Zermeno and Haffener were booked at Orange County Jail in Santa Ana. The arrest is being investigated by the GGPD Gang Unit.

Officers will continue to conduct “high visibility patrol and enforcement in the resort area to deter criminal activity,” according to Lt. Whitney.