Man arrested for threatening to shoot neighbors

Gerardo Gutierrez, about 75, of Rio Rancho, was summoned Jan. 18 for two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the 200 block of High Ridge Trail.

Officers responded to a report of a neighbor threatening the caller’s children with a firearm. The children had been outside looking for a pet, and the suspect, identified as Gutierrez, threatened to shoot them.

Gutierrez told the officers a dog got into his backyard and that he tried to get the dog to leave, but it was aggressive toward him. He said he then went to the front yard and confronted his neighbor (the caller) about the dog but the neighbor shut the door on him.

Gutierrez said at this point he threatened to shoot the dog. Police asked Gutierrez about a firearm being involved in the event. He said the gun was in his house and that he just pretended to have a gun with him.

Police asked where the dog was. Gutierrez said he didn’t know.

The children told officers that Gutierrez came to the yard and pointed a black gun in their direction and threatened to shoot them. The caller said he saw Gutierrez talking to the kids and saw him go into his house and return with a black gun. The caller said after Gutierrez pointed the gun at the kids, he pointed the gun at him and “racked” it, then said he would shoot him.

Police asked to search the house; Gutierrez said they would need a warrant to do so. They obtained a warrant and searched the house.

Gutierrez told the officers the gun was in a nightstand in the bedroom. Officers did find a handgun but noted they were suspicious that it was Gutierrez’s because it was found in a black bag with pink flowers on it. When asked who the gun belonged to, the wife said the gun was hers.

Gutierrez then pointed to a locker in the garage and said the gun was in there; police found the gun along with its magazine.

Gutierrez could face up to three years in prison if he is convicted.