Suspect in Arden Arcade knife incident appears in court, cusses about charges
A man allegedly seen on doorbell cameras in the Arden Arcade neighborhood approaching front porches while carrying what appeared to be a knife appeared in court Tuesday for the first time after his back-to-back misdemeanor arrests, raising his voice and cussing during the proceedings.
The man, Brian Tucker Mattson, 56 remains in the custody of the Sacramento County Main Jail following his arraignment, where he did not enter a plea.’
The initial incident unfolded in the Arden Park Vista neighborhood Thursday evening, where residents reported a man approaching front doors while holding what appeared to be a six-inch knife. Doorbell cameras caught the man pacing around and stabbing the knife in front of him. Residents of the neighborhood and deputies took to the streets to find the man, whom authorities said was unhoused, but came up empty-handed.
Mattson was arrested Saturday morning following an investigation by Sacramento County sheriff’s deputies. He was booked on suspicion of trespassing and released less than two hours later, authorities said.
Deputies determined Mattson was on felony probation and requested that Sacramento County Probation place a hold on him, but the department declined, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
After his release, Mattson was picked up by deputies a second time a few hours later at the shopping center at Fair Oaks Boulevard and San Lucas Way, at the entrance to La Sierra Boulevard, after a business called for deputies’ assistance. It was not clear how Mattson had made it back to the neighborhood after being released from the jail on I Street downtown.
Public records reviewed by The Sacramento Bee show Mattson, who previously lived miles from the Arden Park Vista neighborhood, had several run-ins with the law in Southern California, including a 1990 case in which he was accused of burglary. The disposition of the case was not known because Los Angeles Superior Court said the file contained “restricted information.”
Other records show a history of arrests in Sacramento for probation violations, including one for an outstanding felony warrant from San Bernardino County.
Online records from Sacramento Superior Court show 12 discrete misdemeanor and 10 distinct felony cases dating back to 1994, including a felony case from 2012 in which he was sentenced as part of a plea deal.
After the second arrest Saturday, a probation violation hold was approved.
On Tuesday, he appeared before Sacramento Superior Court Judge Satnam Rattu, where Mattson at first appeared calm, putting his hands in the pockets of his orange pants. As the afternoon hearing came to a close, he questioned the incidents that resulted in his latest charges — two misdemeanor counts of trespassing and one count of violating parole
“What the f--- is the trespassing about,” Mattson said from the bullpen at the Lorenzo Patiño Hall of Justice at the jail.
Mattson is expected to return to court May 12.
Why Mattson was not put on a probation hold during his first arrest remains unclear.
The Sacramento County Probation Department did not respond to questions Tuesday seeking additional comment though probation officials issued a statement saying the incident “resulted from miscommunication and a need for clearer procedural guidance.”
“We are treating this as an isolated event and are working closely with all law enforcement agencies to strengthen communication, reinforce expectations, and ensure consistent application of our current practices,” Assistant Chief Deputy Michael Sanders said in the statement.
Michael Deauville, who lives on La Sierra Drive, said he learned about the situation Thursday night from his wife while he was away from home. Neighbors shared information and checked the area as deputies responded.
Word of the man approaching front doors with the knife made its way around the block, he said, explaining that neighbors eventually made their way down the street to make sure the man wasn’t hiding out while authorities were en route.
Deauville said the incident reflected broader public safety challenges rather than a single response.
“Our Sheriff’s Office needs more resources,” he said. “There’s so much going on in our communities.”
He said incidents like this are not unique to one neighborhood and should prompt wider discussion.
“It’s an issue no matter what neighborhood you live in,” he said. “It matters to us because it was in our front door, but we step back a little and say, ‘Alright this has been going on … so let’s have that conversation.’”
This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 7:07 PM with the headline "Suspect in Arden Arcade knife incident appears in court, cusses about charges."
