Photo: Pete Gaona
LOS BANOS – Just after midnight on Christmas Day, the Los Banos Police Department received a report of a domestic disturbance and arrived at home in the 100 block of Santa Barbara Street.
Officers came into the home during “a family disturbance.” While the officers were on site, a gunshot “was fired from a back room.”
The, 36-year-old Pete Gaona walked into the front of the house with a gun in his hand. Other family members tried to intervene. In fact, 31-year-old Martha Maylander took the gun from Gaona and hid it in the back of the house.
Officers arrested Gaona, and detectives arrived with a search warrant. They discovered a 9mm handgun and a bullet hole in the ceiling. They also heard Maylander admit to taking the gun. She was not arrested, but “a complaint is being sent to the Merced County District Attorney for consideration of charges.”
For his part, Gaona was charged with willful discharge of a firearm in a negligent manner, felon in possession of a firearm, child endangerment, and other weapons charges. In addition, he had an out-of-county warrant.
Gaona is in custody without bail.
