LOS ANGELES, CA – Multiple people were detained Wednesday morning in Westminster after police served a search warrant at a home in connection with an illegal gambling investigation, according to the Westminster Police Department.
Police said the warrant was served starting at approximately 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, in the 6000 block of Apache Road in Westminster, in Orange County. The operation was still active late in the morning, with officers and detainees outside the home.
The department described the warrant as part of an illegal gambling investigation. Police had not released a description of the alleged gambling activity at the home.
Officers guard group outside the home
According to initial reports, as of about 11:30 a.m. officers were guarding more than 10 people who were seated in front of the home. Police described those people as detained.
A detention is not an arrest. Being detained during the service of a search warrant does not, by itself, mean a person has been accused of a crime, and anyone who is later charged is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
The Westminster Police Department is the agency that announced the warrant. Police had not named any other agencies taking part in the operation.
What California law says about illegal gambling
The state’s gambling provisions in the Penal Code include Section 330, which covers prohibited banking and percentage games played with cards, dice or any device for money or other value.
Under that section, dealing, playing or conducting such games is a misdemeanor. The penalty is a fine of $100 to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both.
Sections 330a and 330b in the same chapter cover slot machines and similar devices. Police have not said which provisions, if any, apply to the Apache Road investigation.
Westminster police have served similar warrants
The Westminster Police Department has raided several suspected home gambling operations in recent years. One of them took place on Aug. 5, at about 8:40 p.m., in the 9800 block of Bolsa Avenue.
In that case, officers responded to a closed business and detained 18 people, according to the department. Seven people were arrested, and officers recovered one unregistered firearm and about half an ounce of suspected methamphetamine.
The Bolsa Avenue operation took place at a different address and on a different date. Police have not said the two cases are connected.
Where the Apache Road case stands
Police had not released the names or ages of the people detained, whether anyone was arrested, what items were seized or whether any charges were being considered. No statement from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office about charges in the case was available Wednesday.
In an Orange County criminal case, the decision to file charges rests with prosecutors after police submit their findings. Until charges are filed, the allegations under investigation have not been tested in court.
Tip lines for information
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Westminster Police Department Detective Bureau at 714-548-3835. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS.
Investigation remains active
The investigation into the alleged illegal gambling operation at the Apache Road home remains active. The Westminster Police Department has not announced arrests, seizures or charges in connection with the search warrant served on Nov. 11.
