Man harassing migrants with a gun arrested in El Paso 

A 27-year-old man who was allegedly harassing migrants with a gun on New Year's Eve in El Paso was arrested by police, authorities announced on Wednesday. 

The armed man allegedly pointed a gun at migrants who were gathered on the streets outside Sacred Heart Church in El Paso, less than two miles from the border. 

In the early hours of January 1, police conducted a traffic stop and asked the suspect to step out of his vehicle. However, the man jumped back into the car and fled, the police said in a statement. 

“Because of a mechanical issue, the police unit became disabled and lost sight of the suspect,” the statement continued. However, the vehicle and the driver were found the next day. 

“Due to the ongoing investigation, no further information is available for public release. Once the suspect has been formally charged an updated release will include his name and charges. Because Investigators are still meeting with possible witnesses, the description of the vehicle and the picture of the man cannot be released,” the statement says. 

Brayan, a 19-year-old migrant from Venezuela, told CNN he was waiting outside of the church when a truck pulled up. He initially thought it was a vehicle dropping off food or other supplies. But when he approached the vehicle, a man started yelling at him and pointed a gun at him. 

“He called over to me, and I thought he was going to help us. When I got closer, he put a gun in my face,” he told CNN in a phone interview. “I kept telling him I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

When a volunteer noticed what was going on, she approached the vehicle and de-escalated the situation. Before he drove away, Sandragrace Martinez took a video of the man’s license plate and called the police to report the incident. 

A couple of hours later, Martinez was warning migrants at another popular gathering spot about the man when he pulled up again. He got out of his car, walked towards the migrants, and pointed his gun at them. After honking her car horn repeatedly to scare him off, the man returned to his truck and drove away. Once again, she alerted the police. 

The man, identified as Steven Matthew Driscoll, was booked into El Paso County Jail. He is being charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, evading arrest, and disorderly conduct.