A Washington massage therapist was arrested Monday on suspicion of pointing a firearm at a mechanic who declined to work on his vehicle immediately.
The suspect was traveling northbound on his way back from a therapy convention with his wife when he struck something on Interstate 5 in Gorman, according to officials at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
After reportedly getting into a short fight with a big-rig driver, the man then allegedly went to a mechanic — on Ralphs Ranch Road in Gorman — who was in the middle of closing up for the afternoon.
“The victim seems to be the owner of the mechanic shop; he was closed for the day but he said he would work on the car tomorrow, but I’ll take your money for it today,” said Sgt. Shreves of the SCV Sheriff’s Station. “(The suspect) puts his hand on his gun that was in his holster on his hip.”
The accounts in the story differ, but according to the victim, the suspect then pulled his firearm out in a threatening manner; the suspect told law enforcement he did not pull his weapon and has a license to carry in his home state of Washington.
The gun, Shreves said, was registered to the suspect, but it remains illegal for him to carry the firearm in the manner that he did in California.
After deputies arrived on the scene, and took the testimony from those present, the suspect was then arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and carrying a loaded firearm in public.
He was transported to the SCV Sheriff’s Station.
