Three Lindsay teens held on weapons, vehicle theft charges

Three teen boys from Lindsay were arrested in Porterville on April 15 for possessing a stolen vehicle and weapons charges, including possessing a sawed-off shotgun, Porterville police said.

Officers were dispatched to Atkins Street and Monache Avenue around 10 p.m. regarding a suspicious vehicle, Porterville police said. The suspicious vehicle was a 1999 green Honda Civic, which was reported stolen from Lindsay.

Four juveniles, all either 15 or 16, were near the Civic and detained by officers, Porterville police said. While searching the vehicle, a loaded sawed-off shotgun was found in the trunk.

Officers determined one of the four detained, a teen girl, had no involvement with the stolen vehicle or firearm, Porterville police said. The three teen boys, two 15-year-olds and one a 16-year-old, were arrested and found to be members of a street gang in Lindsay.

They were charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of a sawed-off shotgun, gang member in possession of a firearm, participation in a criminal street gang, conspiracy and other offenses, police said.

They were booked into the Juvenile Detention Facility in Visalia.

This story was originally published April 17, 2016 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Three Lindsay teens held on weapons, vehicle theft charges."