A man accused of pointing a BB-gun at cops, and then fleeing and trying to climb over a day care fence, pleaded not guilty in court Thursday.
Ferdinand Gangano Alarcio, 48, of San Diego, was charged with resisting an officer while using a weapon and bringing a BB-gun onto a school ground.
The shooting happened at approximately 2:15 p.m. Tuesday on the 2100 block of Ulric Street, according to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD). The location is right off the busy Linda Vista Road, near a library and the Vine Childcare Center. The Linda Vista Presbyterian Church and a U.S. Post Office are also nearby.
Police first responded to a call of an assault with a deadly weapon in the area, according to SDPD Lt. Ray Valentin. The witness said two men, one possibly armed with a gun, were arguing and said one man may have shot the other man.
When police arrived on scene, they found the men and tried to detain them.
Both men initially complied with the officer's command but at one point, one of the suspects - later identified as Ferdinand Gangano Alarcio, 48, of San Diego - pointed what appeared to be a handgun at an officer before fleeing on foot, Valentin said.
The officers chased after Alarcio on foot; at one point, he attempted to climb over a local day care center's fence, according to police.
“As the suspect was attempting to climb the fence, armed with a handgun, he posed a significant threat to the children, and the staff," SDPD Capt. Brain Ahearn said. At the time of the incident, there were about 100 children and 15 teachers inside. No one was harmed.
In an attempt to stop him, the officers fired their weapons at the suspect; a bullet struck his finger, according to Ahearn.
The suspect then threw the handgun across fence. When officers recovered the apparent handgun, they learned that Alarcio was actually armed with a BB-gun that closely resembled a black semi-automatic handgun.
Deputy District Attorney Michael Runyon said Alarcio may have been on drugs at the time.
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"The defendant did make statements to officers after he was arrested and admitted to using meth earlier in the day," he said.
One suspect remains outstanding.
The SDPD officers involved in the incident was Shane Franken, an officer with one year of experience with the department, and Michael Wagner, an officer with three years of experience with the department.
Both officers were not hurt. They had body-worn cameras which were turned on during the shooting, Ahearn said.
If Alarcio is convicted, he could face more than three years in prison.
The incident is under investigation. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
