Nampa market owner charged with pointing pistol at customer

NAMPA, Idaho — A Nampa Mexican market owner has been charged with pointing a firearm at a customer during an argument that began after the customer tried returning some meat, the Idaho Press-Tribune reports.

Gerardo Rivera Salcedo, 42, was arraigned on one count of felony aggravated assault in 3rd District Court on Thursday.

According to Nampa Police, Salcedo, who owns Campos Market at 3302 Caldwell Blvd., pointed a handgun at a customer who got into an argument with Salcedo’s wife and knocked over merchandise in the store.

The victim told police that he tried to return some meat that he had purchased at the market, claiming it had gone bad. He told police that he spoke with Salcedo’s wife, who refused to grant him a refund.

At that point, the man said, he knocked over some items in the store as he was leaving, prompting Salcedo to retrieve a gun from a cash register and chase him out the door. The man said that Salcedo pointed the gun directly at him.

Salcedo told police that he argued with the man about the return, but then retreated back into his office. At that point, Salcedo said he noticed his wife and the customer arguing on a security monitor and believed she was being assaulted. Salcedo said he then ran toward the front of the store and grabbed a Ruger 9 mm stored underneath the cash register.

Salcedo told police that he meant to scare the man away and that his wife stopped him from leaving the store with the pistol.

Police reviewed surveillance footage, which showed the victim knocking over merchandise on a counter. The tape shows Salcedo grabbing the 9mm and running toward the man, waiving it in the air before his wife stopped him from leaving the store.

He is due in court for a preliminary hearing April 27. As of Friday, Salcedo was being held in the Canyon County jail on a $20,000 bond. The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency has also placed an immigration hold on Salcedo.

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