LODI, Calif. - Sheriff's deputies in San Joaquin County allegedly found a loaded semi-automatic rifle in the bedroom of a child last week while making a probation search of a residence, authorities said Thursday.
On Nov. 9, the deputies searched a house on Sleepy Hollow Drive in Lodi. Deputies detained four adults and located a 4-year-old child, the Sheriff's Office said on social media.
Bradley Cox, a convicted felon, was found in possession of a loaded "ghost" handgun without a serial number. As a felon, he is barred from being in possession of any firearms or ammunition.
Deputies also allege they found methamphetamine; loaded, uncapped hypodermic needles, and exposed wiring "all within reach of the child."
Three more guns were allegedly found as well, including an AR-15-style rifle with a binary trigger, which allows a semi-automatic weapon to fire at an increased rate. The rifle was found hidden in the child's bedroom, the Sheriff's Office said.
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Cox was arrested on suspicion of methamphetamine possession and having a firearm and ammunition, all while being a felon. He was also booked on suspicion of child endangerment.
Heather Schreiber, the child's mother, was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, negligent storage of a firearm, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of methamphetamine.
The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said that Schreiber had previously been arrested for and pleaded guilty to child endangerment in 2021 following another search at the same residence.
"During the 2021 warrant, methamphetamine was located within reach of the same child, coincidentally in the same room and on the same table as found during this most recent search," said the Sheriff's Office.
The child has been taken into protective custody.