Police in Brick Township rousted a man found sleeping in his car Wednesday night, only to discover a cache of high-powered weapons and ammunition inside the vehicle.
Antonio Perez of Elkhart, Indiana faces a rash of weapons charges, including: possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, possession of a rifle, possession of destructive devices, possession of certain bullets, possession of large capacity ammo magazine (2 counts), possession of a handgun, disposition of weapons, and disposition of an assault firearm.
He also faces charges for possession of marijuana and an unregistered vehicle, as well as a stalking complaint. That charge is rooted in Perez, 24, being on his way for a first-time meeting with an online acquaintance at the time police discovered him.
Elkhart is over a 10-hour drive to the township, and police have speculated that Perez may have tired from the drive and decided to rest. They were also exploring the potential he may have planned to continue ahead to New York City on New Years Eve.
Discovered inside the vehicle were over 1,000 rounds of ammunition, pepper spray and a gas mask. The weapons included: a SigSauer P226 40 caliber handgun, a loaded Smith &Wesson .38 revolver, a loaded Smith &Wesson .357 revolver, and a loaded WASR 10 (AK47 style rifle) with a loaded 30 round magazine.
According to the department, Perez was discovered parked at the Boland Field Baseball Complex just after midnight Wednesday morning.
Police were able to locate the woman Perez said he was meeting and assured that she was unharmed. According to Perez, the two had never actually met, but had for two years communicated using social media.
Perez’s bail was set at $100,000 with no ten percent option for release. He is being held in the Ocean County Jail.