ICE officer shot by 72-year-old Fresno homeowner now faces 3 felony charges

A 72-year-old Fresno homeowner shot an off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer last Friday after the officer allegedly attacked him and his daughter when they found him passed out on their front lawn. Now, the officer is facing four charges.

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The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office charged Texas native David Gonzalez III, 32, on Tuesday with felony assault likely to produce great bodily injury, felony elder abuse, felony vandalism and misdemeanor battery, according to a criminal complaint filed in Fresno County Superior Court. 

The charges come amid an escalation of federal immigration enforcement operations across California’s Central Valley, where widespread arrests have drawn criticism from local officials and immigrant advocates. ICE has also reportedly lowered its hiring standards to comply with President Donald Trump’s directive to carry out mass deportations across the country, according to a recent whistleblower report.

The confrontation unfolded early Friday morning in Fresno’s Tower District when the homeowner’s daughter found Gonzalez sleeping on their lawn, according to prosecutors. Her father went outside to ask him to leave, but Gonzalez “appeared intoxicated and agitated” when awakened, Fresno police said.

Gonzalez allegedly attacked the homeowner, knocking him to the ground and throwing him into a neighbor’s parked vehicle, which resulted in visible injuries and significant damage to the car, the district attorney’s office said in a news release. Then, as the homeowner’s daughter tried to intervene, Gonzalez allegedly assaulted her, knocking her to the ground, according to prosecutors. 

Worried about their safety, the homeowner fired a single shot from his legally possessed firearm, which hit Gonzalez, prosecutors said.

Fresno city council member Miguel Arias previously told SFGATE that Gonzalez had also drawn his firearm, although the police department declined to confirm that detail.

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“The ICE agent pulled a weapon out, and the homeowner won the battle and shot the ICE agent,” Arias said.

The district attorney’s office also did not accuse Gonzalez of pulling out a gun in the agency’s news release, and a copy of the indictment was not immediately available. 

The daughter’s boyfriend, an off-duty police officer, arrived and handcuffed Gonzalez until responding officers took him into custody, SFGATE previously reported. The homeowner is not facing criminal charges.

Gonzalez was taken to a hospital, where he remained in custody and was receiving medical treatment as of Tuesday, according to prosecutors. His bail was set at $52,000, and his arraignment was scheduled for Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. in Fresno County Superior Court.

If convicted on all charges, the ICE officer faces up to four years and eight months in custody, according to the district attorney’s office.