Man Gets Jail Time for Brandishing BB-Gun

A man who pointed a BB-gun at a school was sentenced Tuesday to 45 days in jail and three years probation.

Pablo Ruiz, 36, of North Hollywood, was arrested in July after pointing the gun at children at Victory Elementary School, on Victory Boulevard and Radford Avenue in North Hollywood. A man who was walking his dog saw Ruiz with the gun and, fearing for the children’s safety, called police, Deputy City Atty. Patrick Hiscocks said. Authorities found Ruiz at home with the loaded weapon.

A jury convicted Ruiz of brandishing an imitation firearm but acquitted him of charges of brandishing a deadly weapon, Hiscocks said. Ruiz will begin serving his sentence in January, after meeting with his probation officer and undergoing a psychiatric evaluation, the prosecutor said.