Man With Gun Arrested Near Hall Middle School In Larkspur

LARKSPUR, CA – A man accused of carrying an unloaded handgun was arrested Thursday morning near a Larkspur middle school, authorities reported.

Larkspur-Corte Madera School District staff called the Central Marin Police Authority at 8:45 a.m. after spotting a man who did not belong at Hall Middle School walking on the campus. Staff provided a description of the man and informed police that he was last seen heading toward Piper Park, according to officials.

Officers responded to the park, where they found the man, who identified himself as Fredy Mazariegos, police said. The San Rafael resident said he was in the area looking for work.

"He said he took a short-cut through the campus in order to use the restroom at the park," said Central Marin Police spokesperson Margo Rohrbacher.

An officer discovered an unloaded gun while searching the 28-year-old man's backpack, Rohrbacher said. The gun was registered and not reported stolen. No ammunition was located.

"Hall Middle School students were in class at the time Mazariegos walked through the property and there was no immediate threat to the students at any time," Rohrbacher said.

Mazariegos was booked into Marin County Jail on suspicion of possessing a firearm on school grounds and a traffic warrant.

Police said the incident and Mazariegos are not related to the previous threats at Redwood High School.

In a message on the district's website, superintendent Brett Geithman thanked staff members for reporting the suspicious activity. The district's office is adjacent to Hall Middle School on Doherty Drive.

"Their action serves as a model for what we would like to reinforce throughout our community: 'If you see something, say something,'" Geithman said.

An officer from the Central Marin Police Authority and the superintendent will be available at Hall Middle School from 3:30-4:30 in Room 406 to answer any questions about the incident.

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