Man, 80, charged with threatening five kids with gun

An 80-year-old man is charged with threatening five children with a gun after he discovered them trying to climb his fence to retrieve a ball, police say.

Bradenton police officers responded to the 1200 block of 27th Street East after parents called 911 around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. They told police that John Moreland pointed a handgun at the kids and told them to get off his fence.

Moreland reportedly told police the weapon was a BB gun and that it was stashed underneath the seat in his vehicle.

The victim’s parents decided to press charges against Moreland because their children were “extremely frightened,” according to a police report.

Moreland is charged with aggravated assault and is being held without bond.

This story was originally published December 13, 2017 at 4:53 PM with the headline "Man, 80, charged with threatening five kids with gun."