Santa Barbara County Sheriff's deputies arrested a suspect responsible for two brandishing incidents in the past week.
Deputies say on Saturday at around 3:30 p.m., they responded to the 5900-block of Stagecoach Road on a report of a subject pointing a rifle at people in the area.
Law enforcement said the suspect fled the scene prior to their arrival, but they were able to gather witness descriptions of the suspect and his vehicle.
On Wednesday, at approximately 7:44 a.m. deputies responded to a call of a suspect with a rifle threatening to kill people in the 100-block of Winchester Canyon. The suspect reportedly once again fled the scene.
Further investigation allowed deputies to identify the suspect as 39-year-old Marcelino Valente-Cruz of Santa Barbara.
Wednesday afternoon, deputies spotted the suspect in his vehicle in the area of Mandarin Drive and S. Fairview Avenue where Valente-Cruz was taken into custody and the weapon used in the brandishing, a Red Rider BB gun, was recovered from the vehicle.
Valente-Cruz was booked for brandishing and criminal threats. He is being held without bail.
