Loaded gun leads to arrests

A routine traffic stop in Watsonville Sunday resulted in the arrests of three men and the seizure of a firearm.

At 6:15 p.m. Watsonville police officers stopped the car near Main and Rodriguez streets for vehicle code violations.

The driver, whose name was not identified, was arrested, cited and released at the scene for driving on a suspended license.

Two passengers, Daniel Guzman, 23, and Tomas Smith, 25, were identified as documented gang members on parole.

During the investigation, a loaded Ruger 9mm semiautomatic handgun was found in the vehicle.

Smith and Guzman were arrested and booked into Santa Cruz County Jail for parole violation, pending further investigation and forensic analysis of the firearm.