19 year old exits vehicle holding handgun, booked into jail for probation violation and firearm violations

(Roberts)

On Feb. 29, 2024, at approximately 12:18 a.m., a Humboldt County Sheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle at the intersection of State Highway 36 and Alderpoint Road in Bridgeville. 

Upon contacting the occupants of the vehicle, the deputy observed multiple firearms in the backseat.  Due to the firearms being in the backseat, the backseat passenger who was identified as 21-year-old Clayton Moore was removed from the vehicle first followed by the driver, who was identified as 19-year-old Weylan McKnight. 

As the deputy was instructing Moore and McKnight to walk back to the front of his patrol vehicle, his attention was drawn to the front seat passenger identified as 19-year-old Payden Roberts exiting the vehicle holding a handgun near his right leg, which contained a high-capacity magazine. The deputy drew his department issued firearm and ordered Roberts to drop the gun.  Roberts complied and placed the handgun on the floorboard of the vehicle.  

Upon further investigation, the handgun that Roberts was holding was loaded with a round in chamber and multiple rounds inside the high-capacity magazine. The other firearms located in the vehicle included three bolt action rifles, an AR-15 rifle with no serial numbers, and a Sig Sauer semi-automatic pistol. During a search of the vehicle, located on the front passenger floorboard, (where Roberts was seated), the deputy found a camouflage backpack that contained four 30 round .223 magazines and a 17 round Glock magazine. 

Roberts was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility for charges of (PC 30605(a)) Possession of Assault Weapon, (PC 25850(a)) Carrying a Loaded Firearm, (PC 32310(a)) Possession of Large Capacity Magazine and (PC 1203.2) Violation of Probation. 

The driver of the vehicle,19-year-old Weylan McKnight, was issued a citation for (VC 23140(a)) Minor driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.05% and released to a sober driver.

Clayton Moore was released at the scene.