Gunner Sgt. Peter Boby, a Marine working in the office of Rep. Duncan Hunter was arrested Tuesday near the Capitol after authorities discovered he was in possession of a loaded .45-caliber handgun and has since been charged with carrying a pistol without a license, carrying an unregistered firearm and carrying unregistered ammunition.

Rep. Duncan Hunter is a Representative for California's 50th district which includes Borrego Springs.

In a statement, Hunter praised Boby's work and said the incident was probably an accident. Boby, an active Marine, has done tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Peter has been a top-notch performer," Hunter said. "He's a hero who's seen combat, who's been wounded and who's been in good standing with the Marine Corps throughout. We are still getting the facts, but this was most likely an accident. There's no reason to suggest it was intentional."