SEATTLE — A 32-year-old Auburn man was arrested Tuesday and has been charged federally with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In a news release, U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran said Al M. Talaga was arrested without incident and is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court later Wednesday.
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Talaga is accused of breaking into and looting a store in downtown Seattle on June 1. When police arrived at the scene, they saw a number of people running away from the store.
Witnesses told police some of the looters loaded stolen items into a nearby car. As police searched for the suspects, they said they found items inside the car that appeared to be stolen from the store and a .40 caliber Glock in the driver’s side door panel.
Police impounded the car and learned it was registered to Talaga. During a later court-ordered search of the car, police said they found a second gun under a floor mat.
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A database check showed the second gun, a .40 caliber pistol, was reported stolen in 2019 following a home invasion robbery in Tacoma.
Officials said Talaga is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a second-degree robbery conviction in 2005 in King County Superior Court.
Being a felon in possession of a firearm is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Cox Media Group
