Texas man arrested in DC with unlicensed pistol, 80 rounds after telling cop he needed info on Oval Office

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A Texas man who authorities said had an unlicensed firearm and nearly 80 rounds of ammunition inside his pick-up truck was arrested in Washington, D.C., on Friday after asking a passing bicycle officer for information about the Oval Office.

Macias Santiago, a 37-year-old man from Midland, Texas, was placed under arrest for carrying a pistol without a license, unlawful possession of a firearm, unregistered ammunition and unlawful transport of a firearm, court documents said. 

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An officer in "full police uniform" out on bicycle patrol around 11:51 a.m. noticed that a black GMC pickup was parked in front of a meter on Constitution Ave. near 16th St. NW. Santiago stopped the officer, asked if he could park along Constitution Ave. and then "stated he needed information about the Oval Office," according to an arrest affidavit filed in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.  

That’s when the officer noticed there was a firearm holster mounted under the center dash and asked Santiago if he had a firearm in the vehicle. Santiago nodded and answered "yes." The officer radioed for back-up and asked Santiago to step out of the driver’s side of the vehicle, ordering him to put his hands behind his back to be detained.

The officer asked where the firearm was located and Santiago told him the weapon was between the driver’s side seat and the center console. The officer recovered a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol and placed it on the floorboard and notified the crime scene team.

The recovered weapon "appeared to be fully functional, is designed to expel a projectile by the action of an explosive, has barrel length of less than 12 inches and is capable of being fired using a single hand," the affidavit obtained by Fox 5 DC states.

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The crime scene team that arrived to search the vehicle also found two fully loaded 8-round magazines and an opened box of 79 rounds of ammunition. A check run through the D.C. firearms database showed Santiago had not firearms registered to him.

At some point, Santiago notified an officer he spoke little English, and another officer arrived at the scene and acted as an interpreter, advising Santiago of his Miranda rights as he was placed under arrest. He was initially transferred to the Metropolitan Police Department's Second District for processing.

The Washington Metropolitan Police Department shared this photo on Facebook on Jan. 22 showing police presence surrounding the U.S. Capitol two days after the inauguration. 

Santiago was issued a "stay away order," but was denied further detention due to the coronavirus pandemic, WJLA reported. Court records show his next court appearance is scheduled for June 25.

In the days leading up to the presidential inauguration last week, heightened security had been established in the downtown D.C. area after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

A Virginia man was arrested on Jan. 15 after authorities say he was stopped at an inauguration security checkpoint with a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition. U.S. Capitol Police said he also presented a "non-government issued credential." 

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Some 26,000 National Guard troops were called into the nation's capital to prepare for the inauguration on Jan. 20. After the event, some security fencing began to come down, but the National Guard announced Sunday that at least 5,000 troops will remain in D.C. until March.