A man in Visalia, California, is facing charges after he allegedly threatened officers after his DUI arrest. Police then revealed that they found multiple firearms at his home, even though he is a convicted felon.
According to a press release issued by the Visalia Police Department (VPD), the incident occurred on Sunday, May 30. At around 9:00 p.m., VPD officers arrested 26-year-old Bernardino Barcelo.
Allegedly, Barcelo was driving under the influence at the time. Shortly after his arrest, police officers were met with hostility.
As per the VPD, Barcelo started to make threats directed at the officers. He is accused of telling them he possessed firearms and that he would assault an officer once released from his DUI booking.
Police Investigate Claims
VPD officers didn’t take Barcelo’s threats lightly. Promptly, they responded to his parole residence, located on West Delta Avenue.
During a parole compliance search, officers located multiple firearms. These included a .22-caliber rifle, a .22-caliber handgun, ammunition, and multiple magazines.
The police detailed that Barcelo was a convicted felon. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Furthermore, he allegedly failed to surrender his weapons as previously required.
Arrested and Charged
Bernardino Barcelo was booked into the Tulare County Adult Pre-Trial Facility. He is charged with felon in possession of a firearm, prohibited person in possession of ammunition, driving under the influence, and a parole violation.
If Barcelo is convicted of his firearm possession charge, he faces up to three years in prison. If he, however, has a prior “strike,” then his sentence could double up to six years.
No mugshot was shared by the VPD at the time of this article’s writing. Shockingly, Barcelo’s arrest only came hours before another similar one in Visalia.
Similar Incident, Hours Apart
Minutes before posting about Barcelo’s arrest, the VPD shared that another man, 53-year-old Jose Jimenez, was placed under arrest. He was allegedly found sleeping behind the wheel near Tulare and Watson streets.
At around 4:09 a.m., officers responded to the area and found a vehicle stopped in the roadway, near their patrol cars. When they approached Jimenez, they found him unconscious, the release said.
Allegedly, officers found a methamphetamine pipe on the passenger seat. The VPD said that Jimenez was determined to be under the influence of narcotics, and officers would later find a loaded rifle. He was taken into custody and is facing unspecified drug and weapons-related charges.