Teen Accused of Pulling Gun in Mall

A suspected Ventura gang member was in custody Thursday after pulling a gun on three suspected rival gang members in the Buenaventura Mall, authorities said.

The 16-year-old suspect, who police did not identify because of his age, was being held for allegedly brandishing a firearm and carrying a loaded firearm, said Ventura Police Sgt. Larry White.

The teenager was inside a Foot Locker store in the mall about 2:30 p.m. when he spotted three members of a rival Oxnard gang and pointed a gun at them, according to White.

A mall security guard confronted the juvenile, who then ran out the west entrance toward Main Street, police said. The suspect was captured by mall security guards near Dunning Street. Police found a loaded .25-caliber semiautomatic handgun in the bushes behind a nearby auto-parts store, White said.

The suspected Oxnard gang members were not injured. The teenage suspect was booked into Juvenile Hall.