Kings County man accused of negligent discharge of firearm turns himself in following negotiations
Above: Raul Garcia booking photo | Kings County Sheriff’s Office
A Kings County man has been taken into custody for the alleged negligent discharge of a firearm, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Just before 6:30 PM on Wednesday, February 2, deputies had responded to the 1500 block of Beulah Street to investigate reports of gunfire and, although they did not locate evidence of a shooting, were met by a witness who said 31-year-old Raul Garcia had been firing a gun at the home he was staying at.
The witness also told deputies Garcia had been behaving strangely, removing fixtures from around the house, and suspected that Garcia was under the influence of narcotics.
Shotgun confiscated from home where Garcia was staying | KCSO
Deputies travelled to the home, which Garcia had reportedly fled just minutes prior, and found a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun in Garcia’s bedroom. The witness told them there were others, and that Garcia had taken a gun with him when he left.
Hanford PD officers soon joined deputies in establishing a perimeter. SWAT personnel also responded due to other witnesses claiming to have seen Garcia with a gun, the Sheriff’s Office said.
At one point, witnesses reported seeing Garcia hopping fences in the area, and the Sheriff’s Office deployed a drone to assist in the search. Garcia was soon located hiding near a home on Babe Ruth Street and SWAT personnel were ultimately able to convince him to turn himself in.
Deputies searched Garcia and reportedly found a live handgun round in his pocket, but no gun. A records check revealed that he had a prior felony conviction and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms. Later, during an interview, Garcia claimed that he ran from the house because he’d been hearing voices speaking to him in a hostile manner, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Garcia was later booked at the Kings County Jail on several charges, including possession of a firearm, willfully discharging a firearm in a negligent manner, and possession of a firearm without an identification mark. His bail was set at $85,000.
