- Lake County News reports
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Verbal dispute leads to arrests, discovery of stolen gun
CLEARLAKE, Calif. – Two Oakland residents were arrested this week in Clearlake on several weapons charges after officers found the two in possession of a stolen firearm.
Quintin Joseph Celestine, 32, and Ashley Sharday Bell, 29, were arrested on Wednesday night, according to a report from Clearlake Police Sgt. Elvis Cook.
Cook said that at 9:40 p.m. Wednesday Clearlake Police officers located a male and a female in a verbal dispute near the Walmart parking lot.
Officers were placing the male subject, later identified as Celestine, into custody for several charges. Cook said the female subject, later identified as Bell, was standing at the bus stop yelling at all officers.
Cook said Bell started approaching the officers and yelling. She had a camouflage backpack in her left hand with a sawed off firearm sticking out of the backpack.
Officers gave her verbal commands to place the firearm down, which she failed to do. Cook said she then began walking away, in what was believed to be an attempt to conceal or remove the firearm.
The officers on scene physically took ahold of Bell and the backpack, placing her under arrest for several felony charges as well as felony warrant out of Oakland, Cook said.
Cook said the officers collected the firearm, which was discovered to be loaded, with the safety off.
The firearm was identified as a stolen firearm from a case the Lake County Sheriff's Office investigated, Cook said.
Cook said Bell and Celestine were placed under arrest for carrying a loaded firearm, carrying a loaded firearm that’s stolen, possession of a short-barreled firearm, concealed firearm on a person, possession of stolen property, conspiracy, obstructing a peace officer and a felony warrant from the Oakland Police Department and booked into the Lake County Jail.
Jail records indicated that Celestine remained in custody on Saturday but that Bell had been released.