Man Arrested in New Year’s Gunfire

Residents of a Newhall apartment building had audio evidence early Monday to back up their claim that a man was celebrating New Year’s Day by shooting a rifle out a second-story window.

While they were reporting the shooting at five past midnight, the shots erupted again and could be heard by the officer taking the report, according to Sgt. Bill Benton of the Los Angeles County sheriff’s station in Santa Clarita.

When officers arrived at the building in the 24200 block of Pine Street, they found 20 spent shell casings and one live ammunition round on the ground underneath the window from which the rifle fire reportedly came, Benton said.

Gonzalo Garcia, 22, was arrested and his new .22-caliber rifle was seized, according to the police report. Garcia was charged with illegal use of firearms and bail was set at $5,000.

No one was reported to have been hurt by the shots.