New Bedford Police charge man after social media post, second in less than a week

New Bedford police detectives assigned to the Gang Unit have made a gun arrest following a social media post.

Detectives had received information concerning the subject posting videos of himself on social media brandishing a firearm. The male was known to them as BRIAN SANTIAGO, 20, of 290 Collette St., #1. On the evening of September 13th, SANTIAGO was observed to be the passenger of a vehicle which was later stopped for motor vehicle offenses.

Following a subsequent search, SANTIAGO was found to be in possession of a knife, and a .380 handgun loaded with 5 rounds of ammunition.

SANTIAGO was arrested and charged with carrying a loaded firearm with a defaced serial number and possessing ammunition without a license. SANTIAGO has been previously convicted for possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 1 year in jail in 2019, making this a subsequent offense.

The arresting officer was Det. Bruce Szyndlar.

If you have any information on criminal activity in your neighborhood, the New Bedford Police Dept. wants to hear from you. You can leave an anonymous tip on our voicemail at (508) 991-6300 Ext. 1.