Police found him with a semi-automatic pistol – in a busy playground

A Fresno man is in jail after police found him at a city park on Monday with a loaded 9-mm semi-automatic pistol as dozens of children played nearby.

Elijah Pellum, 18, was searched by officers after a group of men were seen standing near the playground at Fink White Park in southwest Fresno, Sgt. Ignacio Ruiz said in a news release. Several kids were playing at the park as well as others who were at the nearby Boys and Girls Club community center.

As the officer attempted to make contact with the group of men, the director of the center put the children inside the building, according to the news release. The men were searched for weapons and Pellum was found with the concealed pistol, which had a high capacity magazine with 29 live rounds of ammunition, Ruiz said.

Pellum was booked into Fresno County Jail and was charged with possessing a concealed and loaded weapon as a convicted felon. He was arrested in 2015 following a shooting, Ruiz said.

This story was originally published February 5, 2018 at 9:05 PM with the headline "Police found him with a semi-automatic pistol – in a busy playground."