Guns, gun-making machinery and ammunition seized in Beaumont raid

One man remained in custody Saturday after a gang task force raided a site in Beaumont and seized 17 firearms along with firearm manufacturing machinery, authorities said.

Officers served a search warrant in the 300 block of 12th Street at 9 a.m. Thursday as part of an ongoing firearms investigation, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.

The department said its Gang Task Force seized 17 firearms, various firearm components in varying stages of assembly, firearm manufacturing machinery, several firearm suppressors, four ballistic plate carrier vests with steel ballistic plates, ballistic helmets, numerous large-capacity magazines and tens of thousands of rounds of varying caliber ammunition.

Arrested at the scene were 54-year-old Ronald Partain Jr. and 46-year-old Michael Ortega, both of Beaumont.

According to the sheriff’s department, Partain and Ortega were both convicted felons and were prohibited from possessing firearms.

Both were booked into the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility on suspicion of various weapons-related charges.

Partain was released Friday on $10,000 bail, but Ortega remained arrested with no bail amount.

Anyone with additional information about the case was encouraged to contact contact Deputy Cooley with the Riverside County Gang Task Force, Region 2, at (951) 766-2553.