A 40-year-old Modesto man was arrested during a Saturday evening traffic stop after the officer found a concealed loaded firearm in the car.

At approximately 9:42 p.m., Ceres Police Sgt. Michael Vierra was patrolling the area near the intersection of Hatch and Herndon Road when he observed a black Honda Civic traveling northbound on Herndon Road. The driver made a sudden turn into the commercial parking lot in the 1300 block of Hatch Road. Sgt. Vierra initiated a traffic enforcement stop for vehicle code violations and noticed driver Francisco Prado appearing to be extremely nervous. A probable cause search was conducted on both Prado and the car which yielded the weapon.

Prado was arrested and booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on charges of unlawfully possessing a concealed loaded firearm in a public place and within the vehicle.