An assault rifle with a suppressor and bag of ammunition on a dusty car hood.
A Stockton man armed with an assault rifle, a suppressor and high-capacity ammunition was taken into custody Thursday after the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said he fired two rounds at deputies who were responding to reports of an alarm at a junkyard. (Photo courtesy of the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office)

A man armed with an assault rifle who thought he was shooting at burglary suspects was arrested Thursday after he fired on two San Joaquin County sheriff’s deputies responding to an early morning alarm at a Stockton junkyard.

Richard Gonzales was booked for suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon plus possession of an assault weapon, a high-capacity magazine and a silencer, sheriff’s deputies said. Gonzales was said to be either 37 or 38 years old.

The incident occurred at 1:26 a.m. at the Pick-n-Pull in the 3900 block of Clark Drive when deputies were dispatched to the self-service auto parts yard, the Sheriff’s Office said.

When they arrived, deputies saw three suspects running along a canal before disappearing behind a cement wall separating a Buddhist temple from a residence.

Close-up of a cinder block wall with a small hole in one block.
A shot from a man armed with an AR-15 struck a concrete wall near one of the law enforcement officers. (Photo courtesy of the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office)

About the same time, a homeowner was alerted to a possible break-in by a security camera at his front door. Rather than calling 911, he informed his grandson, Gonzales, who grabbed an AR-15 rifle and started looking for the suspects from a golf cart, deputies said.

Authorities said that when Gonzales came across the deputies at the temple, he fired two shots from his rifle. One of the shots struck the concrete wall near one of the law enforcement officers. 

The deputies took cover and “issued commands to the armed individual, who complied without further incident,” the Sheriff’s Office said. Gonzales was then taken into custody. The three suspects who apparently had set off the alarm at the junkyard were not found.

The department commended its deputies, who were not identified, for exercising restraint in a potentially deadly situation.

“This incident underscores the vital importance of allowing trained law enforcement to handle dangerous situations,” officials said in a statement posted on Facebook. “Taking the law into your own hands can escalate conflicts and lead to tragic outcomes. We are grateful that our deputies returned home safely to their families, and we encourage the public to trust and support our law enforcement professionals in their crucial work.”