A 45-year-old Twain Harte man was arrested early Tuesday, Dec. 19 after it was reported he had brandished a gun in the area of Nadine and Richland avenues.

The call was made at 5:42 a.m. but by the time officers had arrived, their suspect, Brandon Blas, 45 had left the scene in a grey-colored Ford F-250 pulling a trailer. A short time later, Stanislaus County Sheriff’s deputies located the pickup parked at the AM/PM at 3936 Mitchell Road. As deputies and Ceres officers approached the vehicle, Blas fled on foot. A perimeter was set up and a Sheriff’s canine tracked Blas to St. Jude’s Catholic Church property at 3824 Mitchell Road. They found newly broken fence boards, cluing them that Blas was hiding in the fenced yard of the on-site residence. Blas was found hiding in this yard and was apprehended by the Sheriff’s canine. Law enforcement also found that Blas had discarded the stolen firearm loaded with a high-capacity magazine.

Blas was on parole and had a no-bail warrant for his arrest. Officers learned that the pickup and trailer had been stolen.

Blas was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on numerous charges, including being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, carrying a loaded firearm for which he was not the registered owner, possession of a large capacity magazine, two counts of auto theft, two counts of possession of a stolen vehicle, possession of stolen property, possession of burglary tools, brandishing a firearm in a threatening manner, violating the terms of his parole and the no-bail warrant.