MS-13 Member Arrested after Brandishing AK-47 to Stop Traffic, Say Florida Police

Sheriff’s deputies in Hillsborough County, Florida, arrested a “certified MS-13 gang member” after he allegedly brandished an AK-47 in the middle of a road in an attempt to stop traffic. The gang member is a previously convicted felon who could not legally own or possess the weapon.

Hillsborough County Deputies assigned to a Wimauma, Florida, district received calls for assistance from motorists who reported being threatened by a man in the roadway with a rifle. Complainants stated the man brandished the weapon in an attempt to stop traffic, according to information obtained by Breitbart Texas by the office of Sheriff Chad Chronister. The callers said the man stood in the street with the rifle and yelled at them to stop. He also reportedly jumped in front of cars in an attempt to make them stop.

When deputies arrived on the scene, they said they observed a Hispanic male walking near a truck with the rifle in his hands. The deputies ordered the man to drop the rifle. The suspect allegedly refused to comply and fled on foot into a nearby wooded area.

A search assisted by a K-9 and a county helicopter uncovered a Norinco SKS AK-47 rifle. Deputies later found a green bag carried by the suspect. The bag reportedly contained three baggies of crystal methamphetamine, four meth pipes, and five .38 caliber rounds.

As the search continued, deputies eventually located the suspect the following morning and took him into custody without incident.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office spokesman, Corporal Larry McKinnon told Breitbart Texas he believes the AK-47 is semi-automatic only. He said the rifle has not been reported stolen and his department has not yet determined its history or how a previously convicted felon came to possess it.

Deputies identified the suspect as Raul Garcia, Jr. Officials described Garcia as a 21-year-old U.S. citizen who is a “certified MS-13 gang member.”

Court records obtained by Breitbart Texas show that Garcia has a criminal history that includes a felony conviction he received as a juvenile. This conviction would bar him from legally purchasing or possessing a semi-auto AK-47 rifle.

He is currently in the Hillsborough County jail on charges of felony possession of a controlled substance, four misdemeanor counts of “Unlawful Advertisement of Drug Paraphernalia,” a misdemeanor county of “Improper Exhibition of a Dangerous Weapon,” a misdemeanor count of loitering or prowling, three misdemeanor counts of “Resisting an Officer Without Violence,” and a felony count of “Felon in Possession of a Firearm.”