Police Arrest Man Armed With Rifle Near Pineapple Cove Academy in West Melbourne
By Space Coast Daily // January 24, 2023
suspect identified as Enrique Christen Martinez
BREVARD COUNTY • WEST MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – West Melbourne Police are crediting a local citizen for helping avoid a potential dangerous situation on Tuesday after the citizen alerted police that a man was walking with a rifle through the bushes towards the direction of the Pineapple Cove Academy.
The investigation began Tuesday morning around 7:38 a.m., when West Melbourne Officers responded to the area of 145 Palm Bay Rd. due to a report of “a man with a rifle walking through the bushes towards the direction of the Pineapple Cove Academy.”
Police say this action caused great concern and prompted a multi-agency police response involving k9 and aerial support.
West Melbourne Police Officers quickly arrived on scene to secure and create a perimeter around the school, which was placed on lockdown.
After an extensive search of the area, the man was located on Hield Rd. and identified as 24-year-old Enrique Christen Martinez.
At the time he was located, he was no longer in possession of the rifle. This generated a secondary search of the surrounding area. The rifle was ultimately located and secured.
Martinez was arrested for Possession of a Firearm within 1,000 feet of a school and taken to the Brevard County Jail on $2,000 bond.
He was recently arrested by the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office on January 9th, 2023 for two counts of Possession of Controlled substance, Possession of Marijuana over 20 grams and Possession of Drug Equipment.
“The West Melbourne Police Department would like to thank our law enforcement partners with the Palm Bay Police Department and Brevard County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance during this event,” said Lieutenant Graig Erenstoft of the West Melbourne Police Department.
This is also a great opportunity to remind our citizens, “If you see something, say something.”
“That is exactly what happened this morning when a concerned citizen saw Mr. Martinez walking towards the school with the rifle,” said Lieutenant Erenstoft.
