2 arrested after assault rifles, ammo found in car in Newport

Newport Beach police say they arrested a man and a woman who were transporting a car full of high-powered assault rifles and ammunition through the city on Friday.

About 9 p.m., an officer pulled over a Dodge Caravan with expired registration while it was leaving a gas station near Bristol Street and Irvine Avenue. Inside were Andrew John Cardiel Jr., 42, of Banning and Heather Magun Gurule, 30, of Yucaipa, according to police.

After police learned that Cardiel was driving on a suspended license and probation, other officers arrived to help search the van, Newport Beach police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella said.

Officers found seven AK-47 rifles, six 30-round high-capacity magazines, two 10-round magazines and more than 350 rounds of 7.62-caliber ammunition, Manzella said.

One of the rifles had been reported stolen in Georgia and another was illegally modified to have a shorter barrel, according to police. All of the guns were modified to fire fully automatically, police said.

Officers said they also found drug paraphernalia, burglary tools and evidence of identity theft in the van.

Police said the suspects stopped in Newport Beach to get gas while they were headed south on local freeways. Officials declined to specify where Cardiel and Gurule apparently were headed with the guns and why.

Cardiel and Gurule are being held at Orange County Jail on suspicion of felonies including transporting a machine gun, possession of an assault weapon, possession of high-capacity magazines and conspiracy. Bail is set at $500,000 each.

Cardiel has previous felony convictions in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties. He pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon in 1999, possession of a controlled substance in 2006 and receiving stolen property in 2008.