MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. – Mendocino County officials seized more than two dozen firearms, some of them stolen, and arrested two men during a Friday investigation.
Vince Allan Ballew, 45, of Boonville and 40-year-old Patrick Dino Mariani of Philo were arrested in the case, according to Sgt. Greg Van Patten of the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office.
Van Patten reported that at 4 p.m. Friday Anderson Valley Resident Deputy Sheriff Craig Walker responded to a residence located on Hutsell Road in Boonville to serve a search warrant.
Deputy Walker was assisted by sheriff's office detectives and special agents with the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force, Van Patten said.
In recent months Deputy Walker had received confidential information about the presence of several firearms at the residence, one of which being reported as stolen during a burglary to a Ukiah area residence in October 2011, according to Van Patten.
Upon arriving at the location Walker, the detectives and special agents contacted Ballew and Mariani, who were inside the living room area of the residence, Van Patten said. Based upon previous law enforcement contacts the residence was known to be Ballew's primary residence with Mariani apparently being a guest.
Upon contact the pair were in close proximity of several loaded and unloaded firearms. Van Patten said some of the firearms where determined to be assault weapons illegal for a private person to possess in California.
During a search of the residence approximately 26 firearms were seized to include different types of rifles, shotguns and handguns, Van Patten said.
Of the firearms seized five were assault rifles, one was an Uzi machine gun and two later were determined to be reported stolen during a burglary to a Ukiah area residence in October 2011, Van Patten reported. Various types and amounts of ammunition for the firearms were also located inside the residence.
Ballew was arrested for being in possession of assault weapons and for possessing a firearm with an altered serial number. Mariani was arrested for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Both were transported to the Mendocino County Jail where Ballew was to be held in lieu of $15,000 bail and Mariani was to be held in lieu of $25,000 bail.
