VERO BEACH — A man was charged after police said he shot at his neighbor and pointed the gun at another resident during a dog dispute Wednesday.
Luis Alberto Guzman
PHOTO PROVIDED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Cellphone footage released this week showed the man, Luis Alberto Guzman, 59, point a BB gun pistol at one of the neighbors during the incident. The footage does not show Guzman firing the weapon.
At one point, Guzman barricaded himself in his residence, prompting the response of the Vero Beach police critical response and hostage negotiation teams, officers said. The standoff ended after several hours when Guzman surrendered to police.
Police arrested Guzman, of the 1900 block of 33rd Avenue, Vero Beach, on two counts of aggravated assault. Guzman was held Saturday at the Indian River County Jail on $50,000 bond.
Video provided by Vero Beach Police Department *Warning: this video contains profane language
Police responded to reports of an aggravated assault with a firearm about 3:30 p.m. on the block where Guzman lives. A man told officers he saw his neighbor’s dog running freely outside.
The man said he took the dog back to its owner when Guzman mumbled something “about his property,” reports show. Guzman, holding a pistol, then shot at the man, reports show.
The man who was fired on said he feared for his life and quickly went to the owner’s home, authorities said. The dog owner, a woman, told police Guzman started yelling at her about her dog being loose, reports show.
The woman said she saw Guzman pull out a gun and yell, “Next time I will shoot him,” reports show. Another neighbor said he went outside after hearing yelling.
The neighbor recorded Guzman arguing with another person, cellphone footage showed. Guzman, standing on his front lawn, then pointed the pistol at the neighbor, who was filming from across the street.
Police responded to the scene and learned that Guzman went back inside his home. Officers tried to contact Guzman by phone and by using a loudspeaker, but were unsuccessful.
The hostage negotiation team eventually reached Guzman by phone, reports show. Guzman came out of the residence after several hours and was detained.
Police recovered the pistol from the home.
