Man arrested in Friday gun threat call charged
Aug. 14—A man arrested late Friday morning in an incident where he allegedly threatened others with a gun has been charged.
Jose Juan Alvarez-Bentzin Jr., 25, was charged with five felony counts and one gross misdemeanor during a first appearance Monday morning in Mower County District Court.
The felonies included three counts of second degree assault with a dangerous weapon, committing a crime while wearing/possessing a bullet resistant vest and firearms-serial number-receive/possession was altered.
The lone gross misdemeanor is a person ineligible to receive ship or transport weapons/ammo.
According to the court complaint, Alvarez-Bentzin, Jr. was arrested after Austin Police Department officers and Mower County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to the 700 block of Sixth Avenue NW at around 11:09 a.m. Friday on a report of a subject threatening others with a firearm while wearing a ballistic vest.
When law enforcement arrived, an officer first on the scene located Alvarez-Bentzin, Jr. standing by the garage of the home while wearing the vest.
After commands to get down on the ground, Alvarez-Bentzin, Jr. eventually complied, taking off the vest and sitting on the ground where he was placed in handcuffs.
A search of Alvarez-Bentzin, Jr.'s person revealed a Baretta Brevettto handgun with a loaded magazine and one in the chamber. Another bullet was discovered in a pocket.
The vest was Second Chance Body armor, which contained bullet-resistant panels in both the front and the back of the vest.
An adult male and one of the victims of the threat told police that a female victim, the ex-partner of the man, lived at the residence with a daughter and that he went to the house with a third victim, his adult son, after receiving a call from the daughter that something was happening.
Once at the residence, Alvarez-Bentzin, Jr. allegedly walked from the garage area and pulled out a small black pistol and pointed it at the male's son and then at him. The female victim came out of the house and Alvarez-Bentzin, Jr. also pointed the gun at her as well.
The incident allegedly had its roots the day before when the police were called to the home where Alvarez-Bentzin, Jr., was allegedly doing drugs. That was followed by the daughter telling her that at some point a PlayStation 5 and other items had been stolen. The female confronted Alvarez-Bentzin, Jr. on Friday about the items, which is when the argument started.
The daughter told police that after returning from the gym, she found her bedroom "ransacked" and discovered the items missing. Both an iPad (valued at $300) and Apple Watch (valued at $300), that were among the missing items, were found on Alvarez-Bentzin, Jr.'s person.
It was while officers were speaking with the victims that Alvarez-Bentzin, Jr. allegedly threatened one of them, saying "I'm gonna be out soon baby" and "we're going to have the BCA here soon, I promise you."
At the jail, Alvarez-Bentzin, Jr. was questioned by an APD detective and claimed it was the first male that threatened him with the handgun and that he "just lost it." At that point, he said, he was able to get the gun away from the male.
However, when asked if the male's DNA would be on the gun, Alvarez-Bentzin, Jr. responded that it probably wouldn't.
An initial appearance has been scheduled for Aug. 28.
Alvarez-Bentzin, Jr. is currently being held in Mower County Jail on $150,000 bail or bond with no conditions.
