‘Stretching’ firefighter arrested in Bay Area restaurant for possessing ghost gun

Novato police arrested a man on allegations of having a concealed gun without a permit at a restaurant.

The incident happened Wednesday morning at the Vintage Oaks Shopping Center. A Marin County sheriff’s deputy in plain clothes spotted the weapon at the suspect’s waistline as the man was stretching his arms.

The deputy notified the Novato Police Department. Officers detained the man and determined the gun was “homemade” with an unserialized frame, sheriff’s Sgt. Adam Schermerhorn said.

Diego Hidalgo, a seasonal state firefighter who lives in Grass Valley, was booked into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of illegally carrying a loaded firearm. The bail amount was set at $20,000 bail.

Hidalgo, 23, was released on bail. He could not be reached for comment.