Crime & Safety
DA Files Charges In Gun Incident Near Black Lives Matter Mural
Prosecutors say a past conviction made it illegal for a Martinez man to have the gun he's accused of pointing at a bystander near the mural.
MARTINEZ, CA — A Martinez man accused of pointing a loaded gun July 5 toward at least one person near the "Black Lives Matter" mural in downtown Martinez is now facing charges in the allegation, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office.
Thirty-year-old Joseph Daniel Osuna was charged Wednesday with three criminal counts: felony unlawful firearm activity; felony possession of firearm not registered to owner; and misdemeanor exhibiting a concealed weapon in public.
It is alleged that as Osuna drove by the mural, he yelled at various people who were gathered near the volunteer project.
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When one of the bystanders exchanged words with Osuna, it is alleged that moments later, Osuna made a U-turn and drove back to the bystander, got out of his Jeep Wrangler, pulled out a loaded revolver and pointed it at the bystander.
"Fortunately, police officers from the Martinez Police Department were nearby and were able to respond to the scene," DA's Office Spokesman Scott Alonso said Thursday in a news release. "Osuna’s 2015 Jeep Wrangler was quickly spotted, and he was pulled over by the police."
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Officers recovered the .22-caliber revolver during the traffic stop and determined the gun was not registered to Osuna.
Osuna was arrested that evening by Martinez police but was no longer in custody as of Thursday, jail records showed.
He faces up to three years in custody if found guilty of the criminal charges, according to the DA's Office.
According to documents filed in the case, Osuna was convicted of felony assault with a gun in 2015 in San Mateo County. The conviction was within the immediate past 10 years, which made it against the law for him to carry a gun or have anything else to do with firearms, prosecutors said.
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