(Updated 1:15 p.m. MST, Nov. 15, 2024)
BOZEMAN — The man who was arrested after firing shots at officers from the garage of a Belgrade residence on Wednesday is facing a charge of attempted deliberate homicide.
Heriberto Ruelas Urias, 30, appeared in Gallatin County Justice Court to be formally charged on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. According to MTN's Hevenn Vanh, Urias was scheduled for a hearing on Thursday but was still too intoxicated to proceed.
According to the charging document, around 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Belgrade Police responded to the report of a man who had stolen a gun from a residence in the 700 block of Mantle Drive and locked himself in the garage.
Officers reportedly arrived and announced their presence from outside the garage. They saw the door shake and then heard two gunshots, according to the charging document.
The charging document says the man, later identified as Urias, opened the garage door, refused commands from officers, and tried to go upstairs to a unit of the residence. He was stopped by officers before he could enter the unit.
Police reported seeing two gunshot holes from outside the garage and through the garage door. The angle of the bullet holes indicated that Urias fired the shots in the direction of the residence, according to the charging document. Urias was reportedly the only person in the garage, and a black handgun was seen tucked under a mattress inside.
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Urias was taken into custody and transported to the Belgrade Police Department; Urias does not speak English and was interviewed by the reporting detective, who is fluent in Spanish. The detective said he could smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage on Urias while reading him his Miranda rights. Urias reportedly admitted to drinking three beers earlier, according to the detective.
The charging document says Urias had been renting the garage as a living space and worked with the men in one of the units at the residence. Urias told police the men bully him at work but had not done so that day. He also allegedly admitted to smoking methamphetamine for two straight days.
A witness who lives in the residence reportedly told police the gun used in the shooting is usually located in the residence, but he could not find it that day when he came home from work. According to the charging document, the witness went to the garage to see if Urias had the gun. Urias allegedly raised his shirt and began to reach for the handgun that was in his waistband. The witness said he then left and returned to his unit, where another resident called police.
During his interview, Urias allegedly told the detective he fired the gun because he heard people talking and was scared. The detective said in the charging document Urias fired after police had arrived and identified themselves.
Urias was transported to the Gallatin County Detention Center where he was held without bond.
In court on Friday, Urias's bail was set at $250,000. His next court date is set for Nov. 29, 2024.
Reporting from MTN's Hevenn Vanh included in this story.
