Who is Reynaldo Figueroa-Ardon? Illegal immigrant pulls trigger on NJ cop 3 times but stolen gun fails to fire
WHITEMARSH TOWNSHIP, PENNSLYVANIA: Reynaldo Figueroa-Ardon, 20, has been charged with attempted murder after pulling the trigger on a police officer. Luckily, there were no bullets in the chamber so no shots were fired, allowing the officer to take Ardon into custody. The incident occurred in Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania. Ardon is now being held in custody with bail set at $3.5 million.
In a press release, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R Steele said, "All of us in law enforcement are feeling very blessed right now that the defendant wasn’t able to rack a bullet into the chamber of the stolen gun before he pulled the trigger."
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Ardon will face a preliminary hearing on March 24, with the case being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Allison Ruth.
Who is Reynaldo Figueroa-Ardon?
Ardon is a 20-year-old resident of Vineland, New Jersey. According to The Inquirer, Ardon came illegally from El Salvador. He processes a certificate of residency under America's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. There is no other information available about Ardon, and it is unclear what he was doing so far from his registered address.
On Wednesday, March 10 , Ardon was attempting to break into parked cars when the incident occurred. He was pulling on door handles of vehicles on Mulberry Lane in the Lafayette Hill section, dressed in an orange and green hoodie. A resident reported Ardon's actions to the police. Officer Matthew Stadulis responded to the call.
According to the press release, Ardon ignored the officer's calls to stop and continued walking. The officer then grabbed Ardon's arm and asked what he was doing when Ardon pulled a gun on him. Ardon attempted to fire three times, but since no rounds were chambered, no harm was done. Ardon was then wrestled to the ground and taken into custody by additional officers.
He also allegedly stole the Sig-Sauer handgun from Worchester Township. It was traced back after the original owner reported it stolen the previous day. Ardon has been charged with the attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, receiving stolen property, illegal possession of a firearm and other crimes.
It is unclear as of now if Ardon has retained an attorney.