By Jon Johnson
PIMA – Nicholas Gonzales, 27, was arrested and booked into the Graham County Adult Detention Facility early Sunday morning following a series of events that included an altercation and gunfire in the vicinity of Grandmas Drive south of Pima.
The incident began at about 10:56 p.m. when a woman reported hearing a male voice exclaiming profanities followed by a gunshot while she was with friends at a campfire near Layton Road. After hearing additional shots as they drove away, the woman contacted law enforcement to report the disturbance.
Upon investigation, deputies located the source of the disturbance came from a residence off W. Grandmas Drive, where they encountered Gonzales’ wife and another man. Gonzales’ wife confirmed there had been an argument with her husband, which escalated when he accused them of infidelity. According to both subjects, Gonzales physically engaged with the man accused of having an affair with his wife, grabbing him by what was described as either the jacket or the neck. Gonzales was not at the scene and had left in his car.
Further details emerged as a Pima Police officer conducted a traffic stop, where Gonzales admitted to driving into the desert and discharging a firearm into the ground out of frustration, not with intent to harm anyone but as a response to his emotional state.
Gonzales was found in possession of a .38 revolver and a .22 caliber rifle, both of which were secured by law enforcement. He was charged with assault (domestic violence) and two counts of disorderly conduct.
Despite Gonzales’ denial of any physical altercation, the evidence and testimonies led to his arrest. He was given an in-custody citation and transported to jail, where crisis intervention was also involved to address his mental state following the incident.
