Doña Ana County Sheriff’s deputies and the Special Response Team (SRT) responded to the 1900 block of Guamis in Doña Ana Thursday night after neighbors reported that a 78-year-old man was firing shots from a handgun.
The suspect, Exiquio Bustamante, reportedly walked onto a neighbor’s property and pointed a handgun at the victim. At least one round was fired before Bustamante turned the gun on the victim’s dog and then towards the victim’s daughter, who had walked into the yard to check on her father. No one was injured, and the dog was unharmed.
Bustamante retreated back to his home, where he barricaded himself inside. Law enforcement officials with the SRT deployed less-than-lethal chemical munitions and a less-than-lethal impact projectile to help coax Bustamante out of his residence.
Bustamante was reportedly resistive to deputies’ commands and had to be forcibly taken into custody around 8:30 p.m.
According to Doña Ana County Sheriff’s investigators, Bustamante was charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and criminal trespassing.
He is being held at the Doña Ana County Detention Center on a $5,000 surety bond.