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Pahrump man arrested on firearms charges

Pahrump resident Francisco Salazar believed someone or something was out to get him, when he grabbed a handgun and fired a shot into the air on the morning of July 16, according to the Nye County Sheriff’s Office.

As a result, Nye County Sheriff’s deputies responded to Salazar’s residence on the 2800 block of East Deerskin Street. Just after 7 a.m.

According to a sheriff’s office arrest report, a neighbor doing yard work on their property reported Salazar was acting strangely moments before the single shot was fired.

“Upon my arrival to the residence, other deputies and I located a young male in the garage area,” the deputy’s report stated. “He was detained and the rest of the residence was cleared. I then went to speak with the reporting person who stated he was working on his property and heard his neighbor, Mr. Francisco Salazar across the street either yelling or talking very loudly on a phone.”

Threatening neighbor

The report noted that Salazar had entered a white truck on the property and retrieved a handgun.

“Salazar walked across the street to the neighbor’s residence with the gun pointed up toward the sky,” the deputy’s report stated. “When he was on the neighbor’s property, Mr. Salazar fired one round into the air and that is when the neighbor took the firearm away from him. I then spoke with Mr. Salazar, I read him his Miranda rights and asked if he was willing to talk to me. He stated yes and explained his side of the story.”

Scary monsters abound

The deputy noted that Salazar believed someone had entered his home.

“He stated that he thought someone had broken into his residence and he was scared,” according to the report. “He also stated he believed the person was named “Goyo,” and was out to get him. I advised him that we did notice the back door was damaged and cleared the residents that did not see anyone else on the property.”

It should be noted that “Goyos” are monster characters associated with the popular Yu-Gi-Oh card game and television series.

The report also stated that Salazar had fresh open cuts on his right hand.

“When he was asked how he obtained those injuries, he stated he punched his back door window,” the deputy’s report stated. “I then asked about the firearm, where he initially denied having a firearm and shooting a round into the air. I explained to him that other people heard and saw him with a firearm. I then asked if he owned a firearm and he stated his father owned one. I then asked what type of firearm and what color it was.”

Under the influence accusation

Salazar, according to the deputy, identified the weapon as a gray 9mm handgun.

“When I told him that was the firearm his neighbor gave me, Mr. Salazar then stated he could have possibly been hallucinating about other people being on his property,” the deputy noted. “I asked him why he shot a round into the air and he responded that he thinks he was paranoid. Mr. Salazar also admitted that he was drinking alcoholic beverages the night prior. The odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage could be detected emanating from his breath as he spoke. He also had red watery eyes and a slurred speech pattern as I spoke with him.”

As a result, Salazar was subsequently arrested and transported to the Nye County Detention Center for booking.

While there, Salazar consented to a breathalyzer test, which showed he had a blood-alcohol content of .191, the report noted.

Salazar was arrested on discharging a firearm where someone might be in danger and possession of a firearm while under the influence of alcohol, authorities reported.

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com, on Twitter: @pvtimes

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