Police: Man arrested on warrant, alleged firearm violation after fight in Merced park

A man was arrested on a felony warrant and also an alleged firearm violation after police said he fought with someone in a Merced park on Tuesday and then fled.

At about 2 p.m., officers responded to Burbank Park in the 400 block of West Olive Avenue in response to a report of a person brandishing a firearm, according to a Merced Police Department news release. Officers arrived at the park and reportedly observed two people fighting.

Authorities said one of the subjects was cooperative with officers while the other subject, identified as Jacob Salinas, 25, of Merced, began to walk away. When officers approached Salinas, he took off toward an elementary school while clutching what police described as his “waistband area,” according to the release.

Additional officers set up a perimeter in the area to prevent access to the elementary school, and law enforcement conducted a yard-to-yard search for the suspect. Salinas was eventually located in a backyard next to a schoolyard fence and arrested, according to police.

Officers said they searched a path Salinas took while fleeing and located what they described as a “ghost firearm” — an unregulated, unregistered gun — hidden in a trash can. Police said a live round was located in the chamber of the gun, which had a 30-round extended magazine. According to the release, Salinas was wanted on a felony warrant and prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Salinas was booked into Merced County jail on multiple charges, including suspicion of resisting, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and possession of large capacity magazine, according to police.

He remains in custody in lieu of $225,500, according to jail records.

Merced police ask anyone with information on the case to contact Officer Benavides at 209-385-6905 or by email at benavidesd@cityofmerced.org.

Some crimes can be reported through the Merced Police Department website and anonymous tips can be submitted by calling 209-385-4725.

Anonymous tips can also be reported to law enforcement through the Merced Area Crime Stoppers website.