Two brothers are facing felony charges for a Sunday afternoon domestic incident which involved one vehicle ramming another, a fight in a grocery store parking lot and the apparent discharge of a gun.
In news release, Gering Police Investigators say they were told the incident started near a Gering residence during which a woman and a male were in her van when she saw 36-year-old Anthony Gonzales Jr., a former boyfriend, along with his 31-year-old brother, Leonard, in a pickup coming toward the couple.
The woman told officers she tried to drive away, and the two vehicles collided as Gonzales cut her off, but she kept driving in an attempt to flee, eventually pulling into the parking lot of Fresh Foods while on the phone with 911.
She told investigators that her male companion exited their vehicle and Anthony Gonzales Jr. shattered the door window, then chased the male, which ended in a fight. The woman said during that time, she saw Leonard Gonzales holding a handgun and heard the gun being shot while still inside the vehicle.
During the investigation, which included officers from the Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office and National Parks Service, a loaded .380 Ruger handgun, later determined to have been stolen, was found under the driver’s seat of the Gonzales vehicle.
Both men were lodged in the Scotts Bluff County Detention Center, with each facing charges of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possession of Stolen Property.
Additional charges for Anthony Gonzales Jr. include Terroristic Threats, Aggravated Assault and Willful Reckless Driving, while Leonard Gonzales also faces charges including Discharging a Firearm in City Limits and Criminal Mischief.
Initial court appearances for both men are scheduled for later Monday in Scotts Bluff County Court.
