ST. GEORGE — Felony charges have been filed against a Hurricane man accused of firing multiple shots from a vehicle. The suspect was reportedly driving while intoxicated with two minor children in the car during the incident, according to police.
Shortly after 2 a.m. on Thursday morning, 37-year-old Francisco Matilde-Gaspar was arrested and booked into jail in Washington County facing six third-degree felony counts of discharge of a firearm.
Matilde-Gaspar also faces seven misdemeanor charges that include two counts of driving under the influence and one count each of furnishing alcohol to a minor, interfering with a peace officer, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and carrying a dangerous weapon while under the influence of alcohol.
The arrest stems from what started as a shots fired call reported in the area of North 2170 West in Hurricane.
According to charging documents filed with the courts, the caller reported hearing five to seven shots fired from a vehicle. Officers arrived on scene and spoke to witnesses who reported seeing a silver passenger car traveling through the neighborhood with its headlights turned off.
When the vehicle reached an area just south of a nearby Desert Sage sign, the witnesses reported hearing several shots coming from the vehicle as it continued south along North 2170 West.
One of the officers preparing to leave the scene spotted a shell casing just south of the Desert Sage sign, then found three more were found nearby, all of which were allegedly 9 mm casings.
In the meantime, a second report of shots being fired came in. While en route to the second scene, officers were advised of third caller that reported hearing shots fired in the area of North 230 West.
“I notified all responding units,” at that point, the officer noted in the report.
Responding officers learned that a silver passenger car was seen in the area at the time the shots were fired and started circulating the area in search of the car.
A deputy spotted a silver car near the gas station on North State Street, an area in close proximity to the second scene, and additional police units were called in to assist.
The deputy told officers after spotting the car, the suspect got out of the vehicle and “was taunting” the deputy. As soon as officers approached, the suspect initially drove off and was stopped minutes later.
Officers noted four occupants in the vehicle as they approached and “immediately” noticed a handgun with a high-capacity magazine tucked under the rear passenger’s seat, the probable cause statement continued.
The suspect’s firearm appeared to be a 9 mm handgun, which matched the caliber of the casings found at the scene of the first shots fired call reported earlier. Officers noted they also noticed powder residue on the barrel of the gun.
Officers allegedly then found a shotgun in the backseat of the car tucked under the knees of the two rear passengers, both of whom were minors, according to the report.
All four occupants were then ordered out of the car and searched for additional weapons.
Inside of the vehicle officers noticed several open containers of beer, including two allegedly in the hands of the suspect’s juvenile children when the vehicle was stopped, the officer noted.
Once detained, Matilde-Gaspar reportedly admitted to drinking and possession of the weapons. He also allegedly admitted to firing the weapons, police noted. When asked to clarify, the suspect said he had fired shots within Hurricane City limits.
Upon questioning by a supervisor, Matilde-Gaspar denied discharging a firearm, saying “he was drunk and had been drinking a lot of beer,” the officer noted in the report.
Matilde-Gaspar was first transported to the Hurricane Police Department for a field sobriety test, which authorities allege he failed. The breathalyzer test subsequently indicated Matilde-Gaspar allegedly had a blood-alcohol level of .19, nearly four times Utah’s legal limit.
The case was filed by the Washington County Attorney’s Office and on Friday. Matilde-Gaspar made his initial appearance in 5th District Court in St. George. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled to take place on July 9, and until then, the suspect remains in jail without bail.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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