SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) – A Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputy is on paid leave after apparently leaving his badge and a loaded gun that were found by a child at a South Lake Tahoe rental home.
Josh Segarra, 9, found the gun in a bedroom drawer 10 minutes after arriving at an Airbnb rental near the Heavenly ski resort over the weekend, the boy’s father, Jon Segarra of Hayward, told KTVU-TV.
READ MORE: Elk Grove PD Officer Involved In Hwy. 99 Head-On Crash Near 12th Ave.At first, the family thought the items were fake. They didn’t touch the gun – a Ruger .380 handgun – but contacted local police.
“Imagine if they were playing with it,” said Segarra, a father of four. “I’m very angry about it. My kids found a loaded weapon in their room.”
The gun is the personal weapon of a deputy who apparently left the items behind while staying at the property, according to the Sheriff’s Office. The deputy is on paid administrative leave while the department investigates.
READ MORE: 'It's Frightening': Family Thankful For Arrest Eight Months After Woman's Murder At Sacramento Light Rail Station“We are thankful no one was hurt as a result of the incident,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a statement, according to KTVU-TV.
Airbnb said it also is investigating.
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