A 34-year-old Barstow man is in jail on suspicion of making criminal threats, violating a protective order and allegedly possessing six untraceable “ghost guns.” He is also accused of trying to break into the home of his ex-girlfriend and threatening to kill her.
Barstow Police Department arrested Troy Tammel Jones shortly after 3 a.m. Friday and booked him at the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Barstow Station jail, where county booking records show he remained in custody on a total bail of $125,000 as of Sunday.
Jones’ bail amount stemmed partly from a $75,000 toll for a pre-existing warrant on a charge of contempt of court for violating a protective order. The other $50,000 stemmed from suspected but not-yet filed charges of criminal threats meant to terrorize, firearm possession as a felon, prohibited ammo possession as a felon and manufacturing of short-barreled rifles, according to the booking records.
Barstow PD officers were called to a home on the 1300 block of Kelly Drive at 2:40 a.m. Friday after a 911 call from a female resident, on which Barstow Police Dispatch could hear a man “in the background threatening to kill the victim,” according to a Facebook post by the department.
“Officers made contact with the victim and through investigation determined her ex-boyfriend, (Jones), came to her residence and attempted to force entry,” the department stated. “During the incident, Jones threatened to kill the victim, who believed he would carry out the threat because he is known to carry firearms.”
Jones left before police arrived, but officers found him nearby standing next to a white Toyota Corolla “he was associated with” in the parking lot of a Super 8 by Wyndham motel at 170 Coolwater Lane. They “observed two firearms in plain view” inside the Corolla and proceeded with a vehicle search.
“During the search officers located an AR-15 pistol, three short barreled AR-15 rifles, a standard AR-15 rifle, a loaded 9mm pistol, and several rounds of assorted ammunition,” Barstow PD stated. “Officers also located a jig and tools for manufacturing weapons inside the vehicle.”
All six of the firearms were so-called “ghost guns,” according to the department, which means the legally-required serial number of a gun has been scratched off or doesn’t exist to effectively make it untraceable by authorities.
Officers found on a records check that Jones is a convicted felon, compounding the suspected charges he currently faces.
Jones was scheduled to appear in Victorville Superior Court at 12:30 p.m. Monday in relation to his existing charge of contempt of court for violating a protective order. He was then set to appear in the same court at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday to face the suspected charges relating to his arrest Friday night, according to his booking records.