GENTRY -- Luis Fernando Salinas, 27, of Gentry, was arrested Friday evening after police responded to a shots-fired call at 104 S. Little Avenue in Gentry.
According to a news release by Clay Stewart, Gentry's interim police chief, at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Gentry officers responded to 104 South Little Avenue for a disturbance call involving weapons. Dispatchers told officers gunshots had been fired and there were possible injuries.
Upon arrival, officers found an unconscious female lying in the driveway, the release states. Officers determined she had not been shot but had fainted when a gun went off.
According to the release, witnesses told officers there had been an altercation between adult siblings at the residence and, during the altercation, Luis Salinas "pulled a handgun and pointed it at his sister, Blanca Gomez. When he did this, their brother, Tomas Gomez, tackled Salinas attempting to wrestle the gun away from him. At some point, the gun was dropped and discharged" when it hit the ground. "Nobody was hit by the bullet, but everyone immediately took cover," the release states.
Salinas then allegedly picked up the gun and ran from the scene, the release states.
"After police conducted a brief search of the area, witnesses reported seeing Salinas enter his apartment, located at 117 South Little Avenue," the release states. "After several failed attempts to make contact with Salinas by knocking on doors and windows of the apartment, Benton County SWAT team was requested to come to the scene. The SWAT team made entry into the apartment and took Salinas into custody without incident."
Salinas was placed under arrest and transported to the Benton County Jail, where he was being held Tuesday (with bond set at $5,000) in connection with two felony counts of aggravated assault on a family or household member, one felony count of possession of firearms by certain persons, one misdemeanor count of interference with emergency communications, and one count of obstructing governmental operations, according to the release.
The Benton County Jail inmate log also lists felony parole violation (with no bond) among the charges against Salinas.
General News on 07/10/2019