Man arrested for allegedly brandishing replica handgun at Central Coast mission
A Solvang man was arrested Sunday afternoon for allegedly brandishing a firearm at a Central Coast mission, according to authorities.
The 23-year-old Hispanic man was reportedly walking around the garden area of the Santa Inés Mission in Solvang with what appeared to be a gun in his hand, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a news release Monday afternoon.
A person called 911 to report the man, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
When Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived at the mission to apprehend the man, they “quickly established a perimeter and began evacuating the area for the safety of the public while they searched for the suspect,” the news release said.
Deputies eventually found the man, who had a replica handgun “tucked into the waistband of his pants,” according to the news release.
The man was then taken to the Santa Barbara County Main Jail and booked on suspicion of brandishing a firearm, a felony charge, the Sheriff’s Office wrote in the release.
“The Sheriff’s Office would like to acknowledge the safe and quick decisions made by the reporting party in this incident,” the release said. “This reporting party went to a safe area, called 911 and provided a clear and accurate description of the suspect which greatly aided in deputies’ ability to identify and apprehend the suspect.”
It is unknown at this time whether the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office will pursue the charge against the man.
