Amid a bustling protest, which drew a heavy police presence for crowd control on the 7000 block of Edgemere, a 47-year-old man was arrested after concerns were voiced about a visible firearm in his car.
According to the City of El Paso, Michael Edward Abeyta was seen driving his 2018 Kia Forte beside the demonstration with an unholstered handgun on his dashboard, leading a participant to alert officers.
Officers quickly located and detained Abeyta, confirming the illegally displayed weapon and charging him with Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon, a Class A Misdemeanor. The police’s disclosure of the incident revealed that, in addition to the weapon charge, Abeyta had several other brushes with the law, including an outstanding traffic warrant from El Paso County and six from the City of El Paso.
The circumstances of the arrest reveal a surprising disregard for the legality of carrying firearms in public places, emphasizing persistent concerns about public safety in such settings. Abeyta was then placed into the El Paso County Detention Facility and issued a bond of $4,416.56, which reflected both the weapons charge and his pending traffic charges.