Apollo police accuse convicted felon of pointing gun at woman, felony charges filed
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Apollo police accused a man whose criminal history prohibits him from possessing a gun with pointing a pistol at a woman and threatening her.
Roberto J. Santiago-Cruz, 35, of the 300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue was charged with a felony count of illegal possession of a firearm along with reckless endangerment, making terroristic threats, simple assault and possession of an instrument of crime.
Santiago-Cruz was being detained in the Armstrong County Jail in lieu of a $40,000 cash bond, according to court records. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 21 before District Judge James Andring.
Police wrote in a criminal complaint that officers responded to a home on the same street as Santiago-Cruz’s residence after he reported that a woman accessed his cellphone account and made changes that prevented him from receiving calls.
Santiago-Cruz was gone when officers arrived, police said. The woman told investigators that she was at Cruz’s house “up the block” when he pointed a gun at her, threatened her and prepared the weapon for firing, the complaint said.
Police went to Santiago-Cruz’s house and found the door open, the complaint said.
The woman told police that she is the owner of the gun Santiago-Cruz pointed at her. She said it is a Scorpion, a replica of a machine-gun pistol made by CZ USA, according to the complaint.
Police said they were able to reach Santiago-Cruz by telephone to get his location and took him into custody.
Officers returned him to his home and asked for permission to go inside to retrieve the gun, the complaint said, but he responded that he wanted to speak with his attorney.
Police said the pistol was found on a shelf after officers got a search warrant for the property.
Santiago-Cruz previously was convicted of illegal possession of a firearm, police said. The conviction makes it illegal to have a gun.