Merced gang member arrested in assault, attempted robbery, police say

A suspected gang member was arrested Sunday after a man tried to rob two people at gunpoint, the Merced Police Department reported.

Augustine Garcia, 21, was booked into the Merced County jail on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, attempted robbery, being a convicted felon in possession of firearm and ammunition, gang allegations, and resisting a peace officer, the department said in a news release.

Officers responded about 10:40 p.m. Sunday to a report of a man brandishing a black handgun. “The suspect had approached two confidential victims and pointed a gun at them,” police said in the statement. “The victims reported the suspect had threatened to shoot them and heard a clicking sound as they ran for safety.”

The location of the reported assault and attempted robbery was not available.

Police spotted Garcia a short time later on West 16th Street; officers chased him to the 1500 block of R Street. Garcia was seen throwing something as he ran, and officers later determined it was a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic weapon, police said.

Police said Garcia was on probation and wearing an ankle monitor at the time of the incident. He was previously arrested in June 2013 on possession of a loaded firearm and street-gang charges and sentenced to a year in jail. He was released in December 2013, police said.

Garcia was arrested by Merced police in 2014 on Feb. 4, May 29 and Nov. 22 on outstanding warrants and domestic violence allegations, officers said in the release.

This story was originally published March 16, 2015 at 8:21 AM with the headline "Merced gang member arrested in assault, attempted robbery, police say."