A late-night traffic stop in Boston, Massachusetts, led to two teenagers, one age 16, being placed under arrest. Allegedly, officers found, among other things, a ghost gun, that is, an untraceable firearm.
According to a release issued by the Boston Police Department, the incident occurred at around 12:42 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Officers patrolling Mattapan on Columbia Road noticed a vehicle with no inspection sticker.
After conducting a query, officers initiated a traffic stop on Blue Hill Avenue. While approaching the car, officers noticed the front passenger wearing a balaclava mask, the release said.
On top of it, the front passenger was allegedly guarding a black fanny pack during the traffic stop, avoiding eye contact with the officer. The vehicle’s four occupants were then removed from it.
A Knife and a Ghost Gun
After the occupants were removed from the vehicle, a Boston police officer searched through the fanny pack. Inside, a large hunting knife was allegedly found.
Then, a second fanny pack was found in the rear of the vehicle on the driver’s side. Inside, police officers found a firearm, loaded with 18 rounds of live ammunition, and a plastic bag containing what was believed to be crack cocaine, the release detailed.
Allegedly, the firearm in question was a ghost gun. This means that the gun was an unserialized, privately made weapon. As a result, a 16-year-old was arrested.
Further Discoveries
A second female passenger was allegedly in possession of a firearm. As per the police, it had been placed in her undergarments.
The gun was determined to be a Smith and Wesson SD40VE firearm. It was loaded with 11 rounds of live ammunition, police detailed.
After she was arrested, and during the booking process, authorities found two plastic bags inside her socks. The bags allegedly contained a substance believed to be crack cocaine.
Teens Charged
The 16-year-old was charged with delinquent to wit, carrying a loaded firearm without a license, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition with an FID card, possession of a large capacity feeding device, and possession of Class B drugs. Given the suspect’s age, they were not publicly identified.
The 18-year-old, meanwhile, was identified as Jacqueline Rose Botelho. She was charged with carrying a loaded firearm without a license, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, possession of a large capacity feeding device, and possession of Class B drugs.
The front passenger, who was allegedly guarding the first black fanny pack, was issued a summons to appear in Dorchester District Court on charges of carrying a dangerous weapon and possession of class D drugs. The 16-year-old and Botelho will be arraigned there as well.