Woman arrested for pointing gun at East Austin tire store employees

A woman was arrested Sunday in East Austin after allegedly pointing a gun at employees at a tire store and threatening to shoot them.

Mercedes Gonzalez Pesina, 42, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following the incident at Guerrero Tire Store on the corner of N Pleasant Valley Road and E. 2nd Street.

Austin police responded to a “Gun Hotshot” call around 8:30 a.m. on June 23. Witnesses reported a woman pointing a gun at employees inside the business, according to court documents.

When officers arrived, employees said the suspect left and went to a nearby home. Pesina then exited the residence without a gun and was arrested by police.

Security footage from the tire store showed Pesina entering the garage and pointing what appeared to be a rifle or shotgun at several employees, according to police.

One victim told detectives she had previous problems with Pesina. He said he heard her screaming in the parking lot before he saw her pointing a gun at him from about 25 feet away. He hid behind tires, the arrest affidavit states.

In an interview with police, Pesina claimed she frequently heard her children screaming inside the tire store, even though she did not have custody of them. She said she thought they were raped there and she “couldn't take it anymore.”

Police executed a search warrant at Pesina's home and seized two .22 caliber rifles, a sawed-off shotgun and ammunition. All weapons would have been loaded.

Pesina faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony.