Man says he was terrorized on bridge

A man faces felony charges after he allegedly terrorized a pedestrian on Frank G. Clement Bridge, first by trying to run the man down and then by pulling a gun on him.

The suspect, Anastacio Mendoza, 41, was found in possession of a .22 caliber handgun by police immediately following the incident, the same handgun victim Muguel Guttierez said was pointed at him by the defendant.

According to the victim, the men had fought previously outside a local restaurant. It was for that reason Guttierez said he was wary when he saw Mendoza pull up near him near Cemetery Street on the downtown side of the bridge. The victim said he was out walking for exercise, as he normally does on the weekend, when he saw Mendoza.

Saying he suspected Mendoza was up to no good, Guttierez said he took off running across the bridge, prompting the suspect to pursue him in his truck. The victim said Mendoza tried to run him down as he sprinted across the bridge, forcing him to take cover behind a utility pole, before he was able to reach the other side.

Guttierez said he saw Mendoza pull the gun from inside his vehicle prompting him to pick up a rock and hurl it at the truck, hoping to prevent Mendoza from getting a clear shot at him. It was at that point police arrived to answer the disturbance call, even as Guttierez had picked up another rock and was preparing to hurl it from the cover he had taken in a ditch at the end of the bridge. Police made Guttierez put down his rock as the Mendoza vehicle was stopped.

A search of the truck netted the firearm. Mendoza is charged with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm. There were no shots fired and it is not known what the original fight was regarding since Guttierez told police the men did not know each other, aside from their fight weeks before.