A Las Cruces man was arrested after an online video showed him allegedly pointing a gun at a vehicle in far East El Paso, authorities said.
Julian Ceasar Valdez, 21, was arrested in connection with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he pointed a gun at a vehicle on Sunday, April 5, near the intersection of Pellicano Drive and Sunfire Boulevard, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Priscilla I. Contreras said in a news release.
Deputies began investigating the incident on Tuesday, April 7, after a video was posted on an El Paso social media account TheRealFitFamElPaso, the news release states.
The video shows a man dressed in a black long-sleeve shirt, black pants and wearing a black beanie approaching a vehicle with what appears to be a gun in his hand. The man appears to be yelling at the driver. After a few seconds, he walks back to his vehicle. The video ends there.
Deputies found the victims during their investigation. The victims told deputies they were stopped at a traffic light when an unknown man “approached their vehicle in an aggressive manner, yelling and brandishing a firearm. The suspect pointed the weapon at both occupants, placing them in fear for their lives,” the news release states.
The investigation led deputies to identify Valdez as the suspect. The deputies obtained two arrest warrants for Valdez on aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charges.
Deputies and Las Cruces Police Department officers found Valdez at a home in the 300 block of Jasper Drive in Las Cruces. Deputies arrested Valdez about 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 8.
Valdez was booked into the Doña Ana County Detention Center. He is currently pending extradition back to El Paso, the news release states.
“This case highlights the power of social media when it works alongside law enforcement to keep our community safe,” El Paso Sheriff Oscar Ugarte said in a statement. “We thank our deputies and the Las Cruces Police Department for their collaboration and swift work in identifying and apprehending this individual.”
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Las Cruces man allegedly pointed gun at vehicle in far East El Paso
Reporting by Aaron Martinez, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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