Solvang man arrested after replica handgun brandished near Santa Ines Mission
Jul. 26—A Solvang man was arrested Sunday on suspicion of a gun charge after he allegedly brandished a replica firearm at the Santa Ines Mission.
The incident was reported at about 4:45 p.m., when Santa Barbara County sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call of a man with a gun at the Santa Ines Mission, located in the 1700 block of Mission Drive in Solvang, according to spokeswoman Raquel Zick.
The caller allegedly told dispatchers that they saw a Hispanic male, identified as 23-year-old Jeckson Murcia, wearing a red and black flannel shirt and a backward grey hat, walking in the garden area of the mission with a handgun in his hand.
Upon arrival, deputies quickly established a perimeter and began evacuating the area for the safety of the public while they searched for Murcia, who was located and taken into custody without incident, according to Zick.
When Murcia was detained at the scene and searched, deputies allegedly located a replica handgun tucked into the waistband of his pants.
Murcia was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of felony brandishing of a firearm and released without bail pursuant to Emergency Rule 4, which requires the release of people accused of certain felonies and misdemeanors due to COVID-19.
The person who reported the incident provided a clear and accurate description of Murcia, which greatly aided the deputies' ability to identify and apprehend him, Zick said.
