Man Arrested for Brandishing BB Gun

A 25-year-old man was arrested early Thursday morning for pointing a BB gun at a bicyclist riding past the intersection of Micheltorena and Garden streets. The suspect, Aaron Matthew Perez, was detained at gunpoint when officers responded to the scene at 7:50 a.m. and arrested him for the misdemeanor charge of brandishing a replica firearm in a rude and threatening manner.

Santa Barbara police officials found Perez to be in possession of two replicas of Heckler and Koch MP5 submachine guns, and further investigation led to his arrest. Perez, who is currently being held at the Santa Barbara Police Department, will be booked into Santa Barbara County Jail with a bail amount of $2,500.

According to an SBPD press release, officials have determined that the victim — a 36-year-old male Santa Barbara resident — was riding his bicycle eastbound on Michetorena Street, toward Garden Street, when Perez pulled out his BB gun. Standing beside his car, which was parked near the intersection of Michetorena and Garden, Perez pointed one of his guns at the victim while smirking. He placed the fake gun back into his vehicle once the victim had rode away, after which the victim contacted police and ultimately completed a citizen’s arrest of Perez.