KEARNEY, Neb. -- A tubing trip down the Loup River turned out to be costly for a rural Amherst man.
Damian Sandoval, 31, is charged in Buffalo County Court with using a firearm to commit a felony, felony strangulation and terroristic threats, and third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, after allegedly assaulting a man on a June 26 tubing trip.
When the victim reported the incident to the Buffalo County Sheriff's Office, he also showed police pictures and video of Sandoval shooting several firearms off the front porch of his home on June 22.
Sandoval was convicted of burglary in Lincoln County in 1997 and isn't allowed to possess weapons.
He now also faces three counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. He's being held at the Buffalo County Jail.
Court records outline the cases against Sandoval, his wife, Nancy Sandoval, 25, of rural Amherst, and Brandon Bramer, 23, of Miller.
On June 26, a man reported being injured by Sandoval after he and his girlfriend took a tubing trip with Sandoval on the Loup River. Sandoval brought a handgun along.
During the trip, the victim and his girlfriend got into an argument, and Nancy Sandoval punched the man in the face. The man walk away from the group, but Damian Sandoval and Bramer followed him, tackled him and repeatedly punched the man and choked him, he said.
Damian Sandoval and Bramer also discussed using Damian Sandoval's handgun on the victim. Damian Sandoval and Bramer eventually let the man go, got back on their tubes and continued the trip. Near the end, the man said, Damian Sandoval got the handgun out again and fired a round, and the man feared he was going to be shot.
On July 15 sheriff deputies served a search warrant on the Sandovals' home and found 14 firearms. The weapons were all loaded.
One shotgun, one rifle and three handguns were in the couple's unlocked bedroom. The shotgun was on the bedroom floor, one handgun was on a nightstand, and another handgun was on the headboard.
One of the handguns was reported stolen from Arkansas in 2009. The Sandovals told police the weapon belonged to Nancy Sandoval.
The Sandovals have three children, ages 5, 2 and 1.
Nancy Sandoval is charged with one count of felony possession of a stolen firearm and three counts of misdemeanor child abuse.
Bramer is charged with felony terroristic threats and third-degree assault, a misdemeanor. He posted 10 percent of $2,500, or $250 and was released. Nancy Sandoval posted 10 percent of a $7,500 bond, or $750, and was released.
Damian Sandoval is being held on 10 percent of a $255,000 bond must needs to post $25,500 to be freed.
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