A man suspected of pointing a shotgun at a woman on Lohman Avenue and then firing one round into the air has been charged with a pair of felonies.
Brenden K. Chavez, of the 600 block of Foster Road, is charged with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of shooting at or from a motor vehicle. Both charges are fourth-degree felonies.
About 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 26, Las Cruces police were dispatched to the report of a subject with a gun and a possible road rage incident in the area of 2300 east Lohman Avenue. Officers arrived and spoke with a couple who were occupants of a pickup that had left the Speedway gas station at 2210 E. Lohman Ave.
Officers learned the occupants of the pickup saw Chavez, an acquaintance of theirs, who was driving a brown Toyota Corolla. Both vehicles left the gas station and proceeded east on Lohman Avenue with the pickup following the Corolla. Investigators learned that as both vehicles traveled east on Lohman, Chavez stopped the Corolla in the roadway, at an angel, with the driver’s side door facing the pickup.
Witnesses told investigators that Chavez opened the door and was armed with what appeared to be a sawed-off shotgun. He allegedly pointed the gun at the woman inside the pickup before closing the driver-side door. Witnesses told investigators that Chavez then discharged one round into the air before driving away.
On Wednesday evening, Las Cruces police located the Toyota Corolla on the 1400 block of south Telshor Boulevard. Chavez was detained for questioning and police recovered a sawed-off .410-gauge shotgun underneath the driver’s seat.
Chavez was arrested and booked into the Dona Ana County Detention Center where he’s initially being held without bond.