By Roger Lanse

On Saturday, July 24, 2024, at about 3:14 p.m., Silver City Police Department officers were dispatched to the Ben Altamirano Sports Complex at 2900 32nd Street Bypass, to a reported harassment. The Grant County Regional Dispatch Authority stated to the officers that an adult male caller, later identified as Anthony Gonzalez, 33, of Hurley, stated he was being harassed by another adult male, later identified as Albert Arsola, 71, of Silver City.

According to a SCPD incident report, the arriving officers first made contact with Gonzales, who stated he came to the Complex to eat his lunch, when Arsola complained to him that he was scaring off the birds he came to feed and parked by Gonzales and began harassing him. Gonzales told officers he got out of his truck and confronted Arsola and a verbal argument took place. Gonzales said he grabbed the driver's side mirror of Arsola's pickup and Arsola began to back up and dragged him while he was holding onto the mirror. Gonzales stated he was able to get back in his vehicle, but Arsola began to strike the front bumper of his pickup with the front bumper of Arsola's pickup causing the front bumper of Gonzales' vehicle to be pushed back.

Officers noted damage to the front bumper of Gonzales' pickup.

Making contact with Arsola, officers were told he was parked next to Gonzales, having a verbal argument, when Gonzales stepped out of his pickup and struck Arsola's side mirror with his right hand, breaking it.

Officers noted the broken mirror on the ground.

Arsola continued, that Gonzales got back in his pickup and the two circled around each other with their vehicles, and that it was Gonzales who struck the front bumper of Arsola's pickup with the front bumper of his pickup.

Officers observed tire marks from both trucks on the unpaved road. The two pickups were a red 1988 Ford and a brown 1998 Chevrolet and both were described by officers as 'damaged'.

According to the SCPD incident report and SCPD staff, due to conflicting stories from the two men, both will be charged with aggravated assault and criminal damage to property.