In the community

Golden Wheel Motel incident leads to arrest of Vale man

VALE – An 18-year-old Vale man was arrested Wednesday, Dec. 14, after police say he fired a handgun several times at the Golden Wheel Motel.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested Demetrio Lorenzo and charged him with unlawful use of a firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm and reckless endangering. No one was injured.

Malheur County Sheriff Brian Wolfe said the incident began when Lorenzo was at the motel at 350 A St. East shortly before 7 a.m. and became “upset with a family member.”

Lorenzo left the motel room and then began to “discharge a firearm, a handgun.” Police said Lorenzo fired into the air.

“Deputies and state police converged on the area and the subject was eventually located and taken into custody and a firearm was later located,” said Wolfe.

Lorenzo was cited and then released.

“Obviously he was not in legal possession of a firearm. Which goes to the point I have been making for a long time. Usually criminals are not in legal possession of a firearm and they never will be no matter what laws we have,” said Wolfe.

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