A 42-year-old Horizon man is facing three felony charges after police say he aimed an AR-15-style rifle at three people during a confrontation that started over a blocked driveway. Gabriel Gelista was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility and has since posted bond, according to the Horizon City Police Department.
Officers were dispatched to the 14000 block of Steve Joyce Parkway on October 3, according to KTSM 9 News, which first reported the arrest. Police say the trouble began when a white truck, allegedly driven by Gelista, blocked the driveway of a vehicle carrying three people. One of the occupants reportedly told him he had the wrong residence, but the station reports that Gelista yelled at the group before allegedly pointing the rifle in their direction.
According to HCPD, the three occupants feared for their safety during the encounter. Officers located Gelista nearby and recovered the rifle, per the same account. He acknowledged having contact with the individuals but denied displaying or pointing a firearm at them, the outlet reports.
Three Warrants, Three Charges
HCPD said three warrants were obtained for Gelista's arrest, and he now faces three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon — one for each person police say was threatened. He was booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility on a $45,000 bond and, per jail records cited by the station, was released after posting that bond on October 6.
In a statement, the Horizon City Police Department said it takes seriously reports involving firearms and threats of violence, and remains committed to thoroughly investigating violent offenses and holding individuals accountable.
How This Fits Into Regional Crime Trends
The arrest comes as serious and violent crime have been trending downward across El Paso. The El Paso Police Department reported an 11% decline in serious crime categories in 2025 compared with the prior year, according to El Paso Matters, which also found that violent crimes reported to city police fell 10% over the same period. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office separately reported a 6% drop in crimes across the county's unincorporated areas in 2025.
Those figures do not include Horizon City itself. El Paso Matters notes that reported crime data for smaller El Paso County communities like Horizon City and Socorro had not yet been released by the state as of its reporting. It remains unclear how this case will factor into whatever numbers eventually emerge for Horizon.
