Man Arrested For Zip Gun

On August 5, 2022, around 11:45 p.m., a patrol officer stopped a vehicle for expired registration, a violation of the California Penal Code, in the area of Providencia Avenue and San Fernando Boulevard.

The officer engaged the driver, the sole occupant of the vehicle, in a conversation, which led to a search of the vehicle.  During the search, officers located a replica firearm under the steering column in a holster. In between the driver’s seat and center console, officers located a metal object, composed of a cylindrical metal piece taped to another square piece of metal.  The cylindrical metal piece was open on one end and had a cap on the other.  Attached to the cap was a small metal pin with a metal ring attached to it. 

The object was determined to be a zip gun, which is a homemade improvised firearm.  These makeshift firearms are made using various materials easily obtained from around the house or a local hardware store and are usually single-shot design.  Typically, a projectile is loaded into the circular piping, the firing mechanism, in this case, the metal pin, is pulled back and released, striking the primer on the back of the projectile causing it to fire.

The driver, 51-year-old Brandon Lyles of Fresno, was arrested and booked on multiple felonies.  The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of a zip gun, both felonies, against Mr. Lyles.  Mr. Lyles appeared in court on August 9, 2022, and was remanded to the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

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