Man arrested in BB gun theft from Petaluma Big 5 store

Police have arrested a man in the Tuesday theft of a black-and-tan BB gun from the Big 5 Sporting Goods store in Petaluma, officers said.

Jesse Pruett, 27, of Petaluma was arrested Wednesday after a tip from a citizen who saw his photo, which had been distributed by the Petaluma Police Department.

The caller said Pruett was leaving the CVS in the Plaza North Shopping Center on North McDowell Boulevard. He was apprehended by officers, who found in his backpack the stolen gun from Big 5, a disassembled Sig Sauer BB gun, and a box of ammunition, police said.

He was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest, providing false identification to a police officer and possession of stolen property.

Pruett was convicted in June on a charge of brandishing or exhibiting an imitation firearm in a threatening manner, police said. He was sentenced to serve 10 months but was released from custody on Aug. 31 with no conditions of probation, according to police.