While attending a party in Antioch, California, a Beach Park man and convicted felon was found with an AR-15, a drum magazine with “penetrator rounds,” and an AR-15 drum magazine.
Tabiest Hearton, a 23-year-old from Beach Park, faced charges in October for three counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, classified as a Class 2 felony, as well as one count of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon, which is a Class 3 felony.
Lake And McHenry County Scanner reports,
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office later downgraded the charges, dismissing the Class 2 and 3 felonies and electing to charge him with three counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, a Class 4 felony.
The charges stem from an incident around 10 p.m. on October 28 that prompted the Antioch Police Department to respond to the 200 block of Ida Avenue in Antioch for a loud noise complaint involving a large party.
Officers arrived and were met by a crowd exceeding 300 people, according to village officials.
“Safety and order were the priorities of first responders. Officers optimized available manpower to ensure the large crowd safely dispersed with minimal damage to neighboring property and minimal threat to public safety,” village officials said at the time.
The attendees at the party initially resisted leaving, creating a chaotic disturbance throughout the neighborhood and prompting nearly a dozen police agencies to respond. Law enforcement took more than four hours to clear the crowd from the area.
Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Dino Katris said in court that Hearton was stopped by police after they witnessed his vehicle collide with another vehicle and try to flee.
Officers found Hearton was in possession of an AR-15 pistol that had a chambered round and a loaded 50-round drum magazine.
Village officials said the magazine was loaded with green tip .223 rounds, known as “penetrator rounds,” which have enhanced ability to pierce through targets.
A Beach Park man has been charged after he was found with an AR-15 with a drum magazine loaded with “penetrator rounds” during a massive party with more than 300 people in Antioch. https://t.co/Hh5sJMPrjA
— Lake & McHenry County Scanner (@LMCScanner) October 30, 2023
Officers detained Hearton during the traffic stop after he repeatedly reached down in his vehicle, according to Katris. The gun was discovered on the floorboard of his car, and officials from the village reported that the safety was disengaged.
Court records show Hearton is a convicted felon and was on probation at the time of his arrest for a previous felony weapons charge in Lake County.
Hearton was ordered detained in the Lake County Jail pending trial following his arrest.
Court records show Hearton entered into a negotiated plea deal with the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office last month.
The access of convicted felons to AR-15s should raise concerns for the Biden Administration, particularly as millions of undocumented immigrants continue to enter the United States. This situation highlights the potential risks associated with gun accessibility, as individuals with criminal backgrounds may obtain firearms, just as undocumented immigrants could potentially do the same.
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