Full Notification

Costa Mesa police officers arrested a 34-year old male parolee on Saturday 06-29-13 after the suspect brandished a replica handgun at a cellular phone store employee inside the local business. Shortly after 12:00 p.m., Osvaldo Castro entered the Metro PCS store at 1175 Baker Street and held what appeared to be a semi-automatic handgun. Castro approached the service counter and pointed his handgun into the face of the male employee who was seated on the other side of the counter. Castro attempted to fire his handgun, however, the weapon malfunctioned. Castro exited the business and fled from the scene on foot.

Witnesses advised police Dispatch that the suspect (Castro) was a known customer of the phone store. Officers converged on the scene. Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter “Duke” assisted officers with coordinating an initial area search, and a search of the suspect’s nearby residence. After confirming Castro was not at his residence, officers remained in the area. A nearby resident reported to police Dispatch he had seen a male, matching Castro’s physical description, standing outside near Mission Drive and Mendoza Drive.

Officers responded to the location and took Castro into custody. A replica handgun was later recovered by police detectives in the general area. Castro was booked for the listed charges and later transported to Orange County Jail, Santa Ana. Costa Mesa police embrace a zero-tolerance approach towards all acts and threatened acts of violence. Costa Mesa Police Department works with neighboring agencies and the District Attorney’s Office to hold suspects accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

No further details are being released at this time. Witnesses with additional information regarding this incident are encouraged to contact Detective Bang Le: 714-754-5361.