Three men were arrested late Monday after a vandalism report led Merced County sheriff’s deputies to an unserialized firearm and outstanding warrants, authorities said.

A deputy responded at about 11:10 p.m. to the Santa Nella Trailer Park for a report of vandalism, according to the Merced County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were told the suspects had fled the area in a white pickup truck toward Comet Road.

The responding deputy located a vehicle matching the description and conducted a traffic stop. The three occupants were identified as Luis Gerardo Amaya, 29, John Junior Vieira, 31, and Jose Torres, 22, the sheriff’s office said.

While detaining the occupants, deputies found Torres in possession of a loaded 15-round gun magazine, authorities said. A records check revealed Amaya had a felony warrant for a probation violation, and Vieira had a misdemeanor warrant for a probation violation with nine failures to appear.

During an inventory search of the vehicle, deputies located a .40-caliber unserialized firearm, commonly referred to as a ghost gun, in the area where Torres had been sitting, according to the sheriff’s office.

All three men were arrested and booked into the Merced County Sheriff’s Office Jail.

Torres was booked on suspicion of possession of a loaded firearm in a vehicle, possession of a high-capacity magazine, possession of an undetectable firearm, participation in a criminal street gang and vandalism. Amaya was booked on a probation violation warrant and vandalism. Vieira was booked on a probation violation warrant with multiple failures to appear and vandalism.

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