An Oro Valley man, identified as 26-year-old Erik Alberto Beal, was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 1 on two counts of assault of a federal officer with a dangerous weapon, and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.
The indictment alleges that Beal assaulted a U.S. Border Patrol Agent with a firearm while the agent was on duty in April, according to a news release from the United States Attorney’s Office District of Arizona.
According to the news release, Border Patrol agents were working near the U.S.-Mexico Border when a subject jumped the border fence and ran onto a nearby property. One agent ran in search of the subject. During the search, Beal allegedly came out of a residence near the fence and confronted the agent with a Sig Sauer, Model P250, .45 caliber pistol, the news release said.
Beal was subsequently subdued and arrested.
Beal faces up to 20 years in prison for the assault of a federal officer with a dangerous weapon charge anywhere from 7 years to life in prison for the brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence charge, according to the news release.