After a brief chase and standoff between a Hollister resident
and San Benito County Sheriff’s deputy, the suspect was apprehended
and arrested for drug charges and possession of illegal weapons
after being stunned into compliance by a Taser Wednesday, according
to police.
Hollister – After a brief chase and standoff between a Hollister resident and San Benito County Sheriff’s deputy, the suspect was apprehended and arrested for drug charges and possession of illegal weapons after being stunned into compliance by a Taser Wednesday, according to police.
It was the third time in the past week deputies have deployed the newly acquired stun guns to restrain combative suspects, said Sgt. Mike Rodrigues.
Leslie Steven Arballo, 50, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of illegal weapons, resisting arrest and being under the influence of a controlled substance after he fled from a deputy attempting to give him a ticket for riding a bicycle on the wrong side of the road, Rodrigues said.
When Arballo saw Deputy Rich Brown attempting to stop him near the San Juan Road Quick Stop around 12:15pm, he sped up on his bike and rode into a vacant field trying to escape, Rodrigues said.
As Brown followed him he dismounted the bike, turned around and stood in a “fighting stance” while reaching into his right front pants pocket, Rodrigues said.
Brown had previous contacts with Arballo and knew he was capable of violence, Rodrigues said.
Brown drew his Taser and ordered the suspect to the ground, but Arballo continued to fumble with something in his pocket and fled again, he said.
When Brown caught up to Arballo, he ordered him to the ground again and told him three times he would shoot him with his Taser if Arballo didn’t comply. When Arballo suddenly turned to the right the deputy fired the stun gun, hitting him in the back, Rodrigues said.
Brown was approximately eight to 10 feet away from the suspect when he fired the two small darts into Arballo’s back, causing his muscles to tense and his body to fold into a heap on the ground, he said.
Before falling onto the ground, Arballo said, “I’m done. (Expletive) that hurts,” Rodrigues said.
The Taser X26E darts transmit 50,000 watts of electricity and incapacitate a suspect for short time. The sheriff’s department purchased the guns with money allocated by the state in August.
After Brown put handcuffs on Arballo, the deputy found a pocket knife in Arballo’s back pocket, a four- to five-inch make-shift knife in a canvass bag in his possession, baggies containing a controlled substance in his pockets and drug paraphernalia, Rodrigues said.
Police don’t know what Arballo was looking for in his pockets, he said.
“Maybe he was trying to discard (the controlled substance) in his pockets,” Rodrigues said. “Not knowing what he was reaching in his pocket for is enough (to deploy the Taser).”
Arballo was then taken to the hospital where the darts were removed and he was given a medical clearance to be booked into the San Benito County Jail, where he is being held without bail, according to jail personnel.
Deputies used the stun guns for the first time Sunday, Oct. 10, to apprehended 19-year-old Hollister resident Andrew T. Lanford, who they found on top of the roof of a building at 1500 Nash Road. Deputies shot Lanford in the back with the Taser because he was trying to avoid arrest by jumping over fences in the area, said Lt. Pat Turturici.
Deputies also used a Taser on a suspect inside the jail who was under the influence and fighting deputies who were trying to move him from one cell to another, Turturici said.
“I’ve seen broken fingers and back injuries on jail employees – getting thrown around in a cell where there’s bricks and concrete isn’t good for anybody,” he said. “It’s been extremely valuable. It’s going to save us in the long haul for everyone concerned.”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or
em*******@fr***********.com
