There is an unexpected moment that can arrive at any hour—a knock on the door, a figure in the yard, a stranger in a place where strangers do not belong. In the quiet hours before dawn on Friday, a Fresno family encountered such a moment, and what followed left an off-duty federal agent wounded and a 72-year-old homeowner facing no charges.
The Fresno Police Department said officers responded to calls around 3:19 a.m. in the area of East Dudley and North Broadway Street after reports of a single gunshot . When they arrived, they found a man in handcuffs with a gunshot wound to his midsection. He was identified as 32-year-old David Gonzalez of Texas, an off-duty agent assigned to Immigration and Customs Enforcement .
Investigators determined that a woman had returned home to find Gonzalez sleeping on her front lawn. She notified her 72-year-old father, who went outside to ask Gonzalez to leave. According to police, Gonzalez appeared intoxicated and agitated when awakened. He then physically assaulted the older man, forcing him to the ground .
When the man's daughter tried to intervene, police said Gonzalez attacked her as well, and she too went to the ground . Fearing for their safety, the 72-year-old man produced a firearm and fired one shot, striking Gonzalez in the stomach .
Shortly afterward, the daughter's boyfriend, who is an off-duty police officer, arrived at the scene and handcuffed Gonzalez . Gonzalez was taken to a local hospital and was listed in serious condition. Police said he is expected to be booked into Fresno County Jail on felony assault charges once he has been treated .
The 72-year-old man who fired the shot is not facing criminal charges. Police said he was legally in possession of the firearm used .
ICE issued a statement saying it was referring all inquiries to the Fresno Police Department, and confirmed the agent was off-duty and alone at the time of the incident . Authorities said it remains unknown why Gonzalez was in the neighborhood.
The investigation is ongoing, and detectives are seeking additional witnesses or video footage .
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Sources: 23ABC News Bakersfield, YourCentralValley.com, ABC30 Fresno, ABC27, KMPH
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