Atascadero man charged with possession of explosive device

July 11, 2023

By KAREN VELIE

A 51-year-old Atascadero man is in jail after several raids led to the discovery of a large cache of weapons, including dozens of firearms, multiple calibers of ammunition and a potentially dangerous improvised explosive device.

On June 23, detectives served a search warrant at a residence on Farousse Way in rural Paso Robles. Authorities then identified Billy Benjamin Hernandez as the individual responsible for possessing the weapons, despite his status as a convicted felon.

Five days later, detectives apprehended Hernandez. He now faces a litany of charges, including 24 counts of felon in possession of a firearm, seven counts of possession of an assault weapon, three counts of possession of a short barrel rifle, one count of possession of a machine gun, five counts of felon in possession of ammunition, and one count of possession of a destructive device.

Detectives then served a search warrant at Hernandez’s residence in the 4300 block of Nogales Avenue in Atascadero where they found multiple firearms.

Hernandez now faces additional charges, including 15 counts of felon in possession of a firearm, one count of possession of an assault weapon, three counts of possession of a short barrel rifle, two counts of possession of a machine gun, five counts of felon in possession of ammunition, and one count of committing a felony while on bail. Hernandez is currently in custody.