BANNING (CNS) - A 30-year-old man who tried to push his way inside a Banning home while carrying a firearm was on felony probation Thursday.
Douglas Jose Salazar of Hemet pleaded guilty Wednesday to possession of controlled substances while armed under a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. In exchange for his admission, prosecutors dropped charges of carrying a concealed weapon in a vehicle and carrying a loaded stolen handgun.
During a hearing at the Banning Justice Center, Superior Court Judge Joshyln Pulliam certified the terms of the plea deal and imposed a sentence of 24 months' probation and six months in a sheriff's work release program, during which time Salazar will either have to attend vocational training or another educational program full-time, or be gainfully employed.
According to the Banning Police Department, about 1:30 a.m. on May 8, 2022, Salazar went to a residence in the 800 block of Latitude Road, near Raven Way, and tried to gain access through the front door.
The attempt was unsuccessful, and the resident, whose identity was not disclosed, called 911, after which patrol units converged on the area, police said.
Salazar was spotted a short time later roaming a nearby neighborhood and was taken into custody without incident, according to investigators.
"During the contact, officers located a loaded semiautomatic handgun, 88 rounds of ammunition, a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia," according to a police statement. "The gun was reported to be stolen out of West Virginia."
The defendant may have been the same individual who went door to door, harassing residents, earlier that same night, but authorities were unable to confirm it was him.
It was unclear why he was in the area since he didn't reside there.
Court records show Salazar had a prior misdemeanor conviction for reckless driving.
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