An off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer is facing four criminal charges after allegedly assaulting a 72-year-old homeowner and his daughter during a confrontation in Fresno, California, before the homeowner shot him.
David Gonzalez III, 32, of McAllen, Texas, was charged with felony assault likely to cause great bodily injury, felony elder abuse, felony vandalism and misdemeanor battery, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.
According to prosecutors, Gonzalez was found sleeping on the front lawn of a home in Fresno’s Tower District around 3 a.m. Friday, Oct. 9. When the homeowner went outside to ask him to leave, Gonzalez allegedly attacked him, causing him to fall and suffer visible injuries.
Prosecutors also allege Gonzalez threw the homeowner into a neighbor’s parked car, damaging its side. When the homeowner’s daughter tried to help her father, Gonzalez allegedly assaulted her, causing her to fall.
The homeowner then fired one shot from a legally owned firearm, striking Gonzalez. Prosecutors said he feared for his own safety and his daughter’s. Gonzalez was taken into custody by Fresno police and transported to a hospital, where he remained in custody while receiving treatment.
Gonzalez faces a maximum sentence of four years and eight months in custody if convicted of all charges. His scheduled bail was set at $52,000, according to the district attorney’s office.
The case is being handled by the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office. The allegations have not been proven in court.