Man held on suspicion of possessing stolen guns

A 24-year-old man was arrested early Thursday on suspicion of possessing stolen weapons, authorities said. Shane Riddle of Palm Desert was taken into custody about 2:15 a.m. after driving away from police and leading them on a chase.

At the time of his arrest, officers said, Riddle had a sawed-off assault rifle, a shotgun with a pistol grip and a tripod-mounted World War II machine gun with about 100 rounds of belt-fed ammunition in his car. Police also found a pistol and an ammunition magazine nearby, which they believe he ditched.

Though authorities said Riddle was wearing a bulletproof vest, they did not believe he was planning an attack. Anyone with information on the weapons is asked to call Palm Desert police at (760) 836-1600.