A man with a gun and a foot chase over nine fences by a Manteca Police officer resulted in the arrest of Mario Garcia Castaneda, 28, of the 1100 block of Windsor Place.
Police said Castaneda was wanted for threatening a man with a hand gun he had in his waistband at the gas pumps in front of the Quick Stop at Yosemite Avenue and Airport Way at 4:22 Monday afternoon.
Officers said the incident was not classified as a robbery as Castaneda allegedly punched the victim in the head with his fist. Police had been looking for the man throughout Manteca on Monday but were unable to locate him.
Patrolman John Moody spotted Castaneda getting out of a blue Jeep at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the 1100 block of Nana Place and gave chase. Moody said the suspect fled jumping over nine fences as he radioed his position and kept up with the man from back yard to back yard.
The officer slipped in the grass during the foot pursuit and the suspect ditched his loaded .38 mm revolver, police said. Castaneda had crossed two streets in fleeing from Moody and was located in a garage in the 1200 block of Stefano Way where he was taken into custody.
Officers said they recovered 2.5 grains of methamphetamine along with shaved ignition keys often used to steal cars and also retrieved the revolver.
Castaneda was charged with four felonies and a misdemeanor:, assault with a deadly weapon, terrorist threats, illegal possession of a firearm and possession of a controlled substance. Bail was set at $238,000.
Police said he was also wanted on a $20,000 warrant for a series of past charges bringing the total bail to $258,000. Several of those charges had been stricken, however.
The stricken charges included committing a felony while released on bail or his own recognizance (OR). Failure to appear on a felony charge dismissed in the furtherance of justice. Resisting arrest also dismissed in the furtherance of justice as was another felony for taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent and evading of police officer with wanton disregard for public safety. Also stricken was the association of committing a felony with a prior prison term.
Castaneda’s court date was set for Nov. 13 at 1 p.m. in Department 1 of the Manteca Branch of the San Joaquin County Superior Court.
