El Paso man allegedly brandishes gun in traffic dispute at Sierra Vista Elementary School
An El Paso parent was arrested for allegedly brandishing a gun during an argument in an elementary school parking lot in the far East Side last week, court officials said.
Angel Rodolfo Reza, 20, was arrested on Friday by Socorro Independent School District police on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, El Paso County Jail records showed.
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Reza is accused in an incident that occurred a day earlier, Aug. 3, outside Sierra Vista STEAM Academy, 1501 Bob Hope Drive in the Americas neighborhood, a state prosecutor said Sunday during a teleconference bond hearing for Reza.
The school, also known as Sierra Vista Elementary School, has students from prekindergarten to fifth grade.
The handgun, which looked like a silver-and-black Glock, turned out to be an airsoft pellet toy pistol, which was allegedly used to threaten another parent during an argument over traffic congestion, lawyers said at the hearing.
During the hearing, Assistant District Attorney Ashley M. Martinez said that Reza was waiting, attempting to exit the parking lot, when he got into an argument with a mother picking up her children at the school.
During the argument, Reza allegedly told the woman to move before displaying the gun. A child was in the woman's vehicle, Martinez noted.
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The next day, police set up surveillance, saw the suspect's vehicle, pulled Reza over and retrieved the pistol, the prosecutor said.
When questioned by officers, Reza allegedly told police that he took out the pellet gun "because he meant business" before tucking it back into his basketball shorts and later putting it in his vehicle, Martinez said.
Parent banned from campus after gun incident
Reza, who resides in the Ysleta area of the Lower Valley, was booked into the El Paso County Jail in Downtown on a bond originally set at $50,000.
At Sunday's hearing, Magistrate Judge Ruben Nuñez decreased the bond amount to $15,000 ($5,000 cash or surety and $10,000 personal recognizance, which requires a signature and promise to show up to court). Reza has no criminal history, lawyers said. Records show he bonded out of jail on Sunday.
Under the terms of the bond restrictions, Nuñez ordered that Reza is not allowed to possess any weapons, firearms or ammunition, can't use drugs and alcohol and is subject to random urine drug tests.
When questioned by the judge, Reza said that his children attend Sierra Vista Elementary School.
"Well, someone else is going to have to take them (to school) because you are ordered to not go within 200 yards of Sierra Vista Elementary," Nuñez told him.
Be patient. School is back in session.
The parking incident occurred during the first week of back-to-school for the Socorro, Ysleta, Canutillo, Tornillo and Gadsden school districts. The El Paso Independent School District began classes on Monday, Aug. 7.
Parents, students, neighbors and motorists are reminded to be patient, take a deep breath and maybe leave earlier as school traffic restarts, law enforcement officers said.
Back-to-school safety tips:
Be alert, watch for children near schools, bus stops and campus parking lots.
Obey traffic laws, especially the 15 mph limit in school zones.
In school zones: do not pass other vehicles, do not change lanes and do not make U-turns.
Do not park at curbs painted yellow or red, which are designated for emergency vehicles only.
Stop for school buses that are loading or unloading students. (Passing a school bus is the El Paso police "traffic focus" for the month of August).
Teenagers who drive to school should avoid distractions, such as cellphones, eating, loud music and disruptive passengers.
Do not share social media posts making potential threats against a school or a person. Screen-save the threatening post and report it to a teacher or call police.
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This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso parent arrested in school parking gun confrontation
