A city man was arrested with a loaded handgun when plainclothes police officers stopped him for running a stop sign early Saturday morning, said police director Jerry Speziale.

Police charged Jerson Villanueva, 25, on various weapons offenses, said the director. At about 3:23 a.m. police officers Gomez and Giaquinto witnessed a grey Honda run a stop sign on Rosa Parks and Van Houten Street.

Villanueva was pulled over.

As the two officers were approaching the vehicle they observed Villanueva attempt to reach under his seat. He kicked an object under his seat as Gomez and Giaquinto approached the side of the vehicle, said the director.

A jittery Villanueva was asked why he was overly nervous, he told police officers there’s a gun underneath his seat, but that it did not belong to him. A loaded 9 mm Taurus was recovered from the vehicle.

Villanueva was transported to headquarters and charged with various weapons offenses, said the director.

“Directed patrol and the use of plain clothes in hotspot zones has become a tremendous asset in our fight against crime to achieve a safer city,” said Speziale.