Florida man wielding rifle arrested near West Melbourne elementary school: police
Enrique Christen Martinez, 25, was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school and taken to the Brevard County Jail on a $2,000 bond.
LAKE MARY, Fla. - A man was wielding a rifle and walking through bushes near a Florida elementary early Tuesday morning school, police say.
Law officers with multiple agencies responded to the area of 145 Palm Bay Rd. just before 8 a.m. in response to suspicious activity near Pineapple Cove Academy. With assistance from the Palm Bay Police Department and Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, West Melbourne police officers created a perimeter around the school which was placed on lockdown.
A K-9 unit and aerial surveillance from a sheriff's office helicopter led officers to 25-year-old Enrique Christen Martinez. Officers said Martinez was not in possession of a rifle when they took him into custody.
"This generated a secondary search of the surrounding area. The rifle was ultimately located and secured," said a spokesperson with the West Melbourne Police Department (WMPD).
Martinez was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school and taken to the Brevard County Jail on a $2,000 bond.
According to the WMPD, Martinez was recently arrested by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office on January 9, 2023, and charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana over 20 grams, and possession of drug equipment.