People v. Romero CA4/1

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

In December 2022, Juan Alberto Solorzano was sitting in his car in a parking lot when Romero came from the back of his car and hit the driver’s side door “hard.” It sounded like metal hitting metal. Romero moved to the front of Solorzano’s car and hit it two more times. Romero yelled, “hey,” took out a gun, and held it sideways as he pointed it directly at Solorzano for what felt like around a minute. When he saw the gun, Solorzano lowered his head but he could still see Romero. Romero stood there “as if he didn’t want to move.” Although Romero did not make any verbal threat, he stared “intently” at Solorzano who felt that Romero was trying to intimidate him and acted “as if he wanted [Solorzano] to get out of the car.” Solorzano “was in panic” and was “very scared.” Solorzano did not know Romero. While Romero stood at the front of Solorzano’s car, a woman drove up and parked in a parking spot a few spaces away. Romero stared at Solorzano, covered the gun with the sleeve of his sweater, smiled at Solorzano, then got into the back seat of the woman’s car. The woman also smiled and it appeared as though Romero and the woman found the incident…