A 20-year-old Ceres driver was arrested Saturday evening after he was stopped for speeding and found with a handgun inside the passenger compartment.

At 11:07 p.m. Officer Charles Rushing spotted Alan Hernandez, 20, of Ceres, speeding eastbound on Whitmore Avenue in a 2009 Honda Accord. The driver swerved abruptly in front of another vehicle. Rushing pulled next to the vehicle and noticed that the front windows were tinted, which is a vehicle code violation.

Officer Eric Gallegos arrived on scene as Rushing had Hernandez produce the registration and insurance for the car. Gallegos wacthed Hernandez rummage through the glove box and saw a firearm magazine in a cup holder. Gallegos questioned Hernandez about the pistol magazine and inquired if there was a firearm in his vehicle, to which he stated there was a gun in the back seat. The officers removed him from the car and handcuffed him.

The unloaded gun, a gold .38-caliber Super, was found in the seat pouch behind the front passenger seat. Hernandez said that the gun belonged to his friend who left it at his house and was asked to take it to his cousin's house so he could give it back to him. Hernandez said he knew that he had to separate the magazine from the firearm as he transported it.

Hernandez was booked at the Public Safety Center for felony unlawful transportation and possession of a concealed firearm.