Man held for trial, accused of pointing gun at cop
A New Jersey man was held for trial on attempted homicide-related charges for allegedly pointing a stolen gun at a Whitemarsh Township police officer’s head and attempting to fire the weapon as the officer investigated reports of a suspicious person in a township neighborhood.
Reynaldo Figueroa-Ardon, 20, of Vineland, N.J., was ordered to stand trial, after a preliminary hearing before District Court Judge Deborah Lukens, on charges of attempted homicide of a law enforcement officer, attempting to disarm a law enforcement officer and aggravated assault in connection with
the alleged March 10 incident in the area of Mulberry Lane and Ridge Pike in the Lafayette Hill section of Whitemarsh.
Figueroa-Ardon, who also faces charges of receiving stolen property, possession of a prohibited firearm, firearm not to be carried without a license, possession of a weapon and recklessly endangering another person, faces a formal arraignment hearing on all the charges in county court in May. A judge could set a trial date at that hearing.
Figueroa-Ardon, of the 1400 block of Wallace Street, remains in the county jail in lieu of $3.5 million cash bail while awaiting trial.
During the hearing, township Police Officer Matthew Stadulis testified about his alleged encounter with Figueroa-Ardon.
“Obviously, it was hard for him. It was difficult reliving it,” said Assistant District Attorney Allison Ruth, referring to Stadulis’ testimony. “It’s so frightening for a law enforcement officer. You get up and go to work and you just never know what you’re going to encounter that day.”
Officials previously revealed that Stadulis is a husband and a father.
County Detective Anthony Francesco Caso testified that the firearm had previously been reported stolen and that FigueroaArdon, during an interview by detectives, demonstrated how he pointed the gun at Stadulis and pulled the trigger.
Ruth, captain of the district attorney’s firearms unit, played a portion of Figueroa-Ardon’s videotaped reenactment for the district judge during the hearing.
During the interview by detectives, Figueroa-Ardon allegedly admitted that he pointed the firearm at the officer’s head and pulled the trigger “with the intent of shooting him in the head/ face,” according to a criminal complaint.
“Figueroa-Ardon added that he knew the gun was loaded because he observed rounds in the magazine. Figueroa-Ardon also admitted that he was not aware that the gun did not have a round in the chamber when he began pulling the trigger,” Caso and Whitemarsh Detective Sgt. James Cotter alleged in court documents.
Defense lawyer Benjamin Cooper represented Figueroa-Ardon during the hearing.
The investigation began about 8 a.m. March 10 when Stadulis responded to Mulberry Lane after a resident called 911 to report a suspicious male wearing an orange and green hoodie walking along the street “trying to open the doors of vehicles parked on the street,” according to a criminal complaint filed by Caso and Cotter.
Stadulis observed the suspect, later identified as Figueroa-Ardon, walking on Mulberry Lane toward Ridge Pike. Stadulis ordered Figueroa-Ardon to stop multiple times but his commands were ignored, according to the criminal complaint.
“As Officer Stadulis approached Figueroa-Ardon on foot, Figueroa-Ardon pulled out a handgun that he had concealed in a holster in his waistband,” Cotter and Caso alleged in the arrest affidavit. “FigueroaArdon pointed the handgun directly at Officer Stadulis’ head/face and began to pull the trigger. Figueroa-Ardon pulled the trigger at least three times, but the handgun did not fire.”
The officer wrestled with Figueroa-Ardon, attempting to disarm him, and they both fell to the ground, court papers indicate. Eventually, Stadulis was able to wrestle the gun from Figueroa-Ardon.
“After being disarmed, Figueroa-Ardon attempted to take control of Officer Stadulis’ holstered duty firearm. Officer Stadulis was eventually able to gain control of Figueroa-Ardon and secure his firearm. As additional backup units arrived Figueroa-Ardon was able to be handcuffed,” Cotter and Caso alleged in the criminal complaint.
Detectives recovered a Sig Sauer 9mm semiautomatic handgun from Figueroa-Ardon and determined it had been reported stolen to Pennsylvania State Police at Skippack. According to a previous news release from the district attorney’s office, the gun had been reported stolen overnight from a parked vehicle in Worcester Township.
“The handgun had been stolen from the center console of the gun owner’s vehicle,” detectives alleged in the criminal complaint.
Authorities alleged the handgun had bullets in the magazine but no bullet in the chamber and thus did not fire when Figueroa-Ardon allegedly pulled the trigger.
Court papers indicate that a check with U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement revealed that Figueroa-Ardon does possess a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) application and is classified as an individual with unlawful presence in the U.S. Figueroa-Ardon’s status prohibits him from possessing a firearm, authorities alleged.
Authorities also alleged in the criminal complaint that Figueroa-Ardon has several arrests for burglary and theft in Vineland and North Wildwood in New Jersey and as recently as March 8 had been arrested by New Jersey State Police for alleged criminal trespass and related charges.
“It’s so frightening for a law enforcement officer. You get up and go to work and you just never know what you’re going to encounter that day.” — Assistant District Attorney Allison Ruth