Seen brandishing replica rifle along I-5, wanted SoCal felon arrested in Redding

REDDING, Calif., — Authorities say a wanted felon who was seen brandishing what appeared to be an assault-style rifle while walking alongside I-5 in Redding was arrested after fleeing from responding officers yesterday morning, Saturday, Oct. 9.

Although the rifle the alleged suspect was seen brandishing was later determined to be a realistic-looking BB gun that was missing its orange safety tip, the man was also found to be in possession of an operable flare gun and he was booked into jail on a variety of charges, according to officials.

LEADING THE SCNS HEADLINES:

Oregon man, 49, killed in solo-vehicle Hwy 89 crash near Burney

Dragged behind vehicle for 45 minutes, dog injured – Owner arrested

Westwood shootout between gun-wielding men leads to one injured, arrested – Second suspect sought

Redding property theft dispute leads to shooting, suspected gunman’s arrest

Armed incident with shots fired in Redding leads to parolee’s arrest

City of Redding and California Highway Patrol officers were alerted to the situation shortly before 9 a.m. when they began receiving reports of a male subject, armed with a rifle seen moving in and out of the bushes on the east side of Interstate 5, south of East Cypress Avenue, Redding Police Corporal Aaron Hollemon has since reported.

Officers from the two agencies converged on the area from around the city and began searching for the reportedly armed man, who was later identified as Marcus Anthony Carter, 35, of Temecula.

Marcus Carter was arrested after being seen brandishing a realistic-looking BB rifle alongside the I-5 in Redding and fleeing from responding officers yesterday morning. Redding Police Department photos

“From a vantage point on June Street, just south of Hilltop Drive, Redding Police Officer Joseph Rossi spotted a male subject, matching the description, walking south through thick vegetation and brush along the east side of I-5 on the other side of a chain link fence that separates June Street and I-5,” the Corporal explained. “The male subject, wearing a backpack and carrying a bag, emerged briefly from the brush along I-5 and was spotted by Redding Police Officer Kyle Corrigan, who was parked along the southbound lanes of I-5.”

When Carter spotted officers moving in on him he quickly reentered the brush and began running north from pursuing officials, but he was quickly apprehended by officers who swarmed the area from all directions.

After being detained, Officers learned Carter had an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest for second-degree burglary out of Tehama County, as well as prior felony convictions.

Officers searched a satchel Carter was carrying when he was caught, as well as a backpack he was seen throwing into a tree as he was fleeing on foot just before he was detained and located a functioning flare gun with an unspent flare inside the chamber as well as a realistic-looking black BB rifle, with no orange tip, which was designed to resemble an AK-47 with a folding stock.

Based on their investigation, officers arrested Carter and he was later booked into the Shasta County Jail on suspicion of brandishing a replica firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and carrying a loaded firearm, as well as his outstanding burglary warrant.

Online jail records indicate he remains in custody in lieu of $75,000 bail or bond.

Anyone with additional information regarding this investigation and arrest is encouraged to contact the Redding Police Department at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 21R066342 and can remain anonymous.

---

---

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County-based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.