Man With BB Gun Arrested at Destiny Worship Center

In Brief:

Police arrested a man who allegedly brandished a realistic-looking BB gun and drove recklessly through the Destiny Worship Center parking lot, with three young children in the back seat.

A man was arrested Sunday afternoon after allegedly threatening churchgoers and children with what first appeared to be a rifle in the parking lot of Destiny Worship Center in Fort Walton Beach.

Just after 3:30 p.m. on June 8, church security called 9-1-1 to report a man revving his engine, doing burnouts, and allegedly brandishing what looked like a rifle in the parking lot. Security said the man had three toddlers inside his vehicle at the time.

The man, later identified as Salvador Castro Martinez, allegedly stepped out of the car holding what appeared to be a black AR-15-style rifle when security ordered him to leave the premises. He then drove recklessly around the lot and stopped near the church entrance.

Fort Walton Beach Police officers arrived soon after and found the man seated in his car with the children secured in the back seat. They de-escalated the situation and arrested Castro Martinez without further incident.

The weapon in question turned out to be a BB gun. Still, officers noted it was indistinguishable from a real firearm due to the absence of any identifying markings.

Castro Martinez now faces three counts of child abuse, three counts of aggravated assault, and one count of improper exhibition of a weapon. The children have been placed in the care of family members and were unharmed.

The Fort Walton Beach Police Department credited the Destiny Worship Center security staff and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office for their quick response.