A convicted felon was arrested after officers responded to reports of a man carrying a rifle, fleeing from police, and later surrendering when a K9 unit was threatened for deployment, according to the Coalinga Police Department.

Officers were dispatched Thursday at about 12:30 p.m. to the 1500 block of Elizabeth Street after a reporting party said a male subject known as “Turtle,” later identified as Edgar David Cervantes of Coalinga, was walking down the street with a black rifle.

When officers arrived, they saw Cervantes walking north on Elizabeth Street. He fled on foot behind his residence and began jumping fences after officers set up a perimeter, police said.

Suspect Located Hiding Behind Vehicles

Cervantes was later located hiding behind vehicles in a driveway. Officers announced that K9 Boss would be deployed if he did not surrender, at which point Cervantes complied and was taken into custody, according to police.

He was arrested on an outstanding no-bail felony warrant out of Kern County. Officers also located a loaded .22 caliber magazine on his person during a search incident to arrest.

Police later recovered a black .22 caliber rifle with one live round in the chamber on top of a vehicle belonging to his mother, retracing Cervantes’ path. Surveillance video reportedly showed Cervantes armed with the rifle walking down Elizabeth Street.

Cervantes, who police said is a convicted felon, was suspected of being under the influence of a controlled substance during the incident. He was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a high-capacity magazine, carrying a loaded firearm in public, and resisting, delaying or obstructing a peace officer.

He was booked into the Fresno County Jail.

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