Julian Lopez Bound Over For Trial On Aggravated Assault Charge

A man will be tried in Natrona County District Court for allegedly pointing a gun at another man he claimed was making him hear voices.

Julian Lopez, who was 33 when arrested, was bound over for trial on one count of aggravated assault after he waived his preliminary hearing in circuit court last week. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years imprisonment.

The case began Oct. 22 when an officer responded to a report about a fight at a shop in Evansville, where one man said Lopez blamed him for the voices in his head, according to an affidavit filed with circuit court. “Lopez thought the only way to get the voices to stop was to kill (the man).”

Lopez and the man argued for about 10 minutes when Lopez began crying and pulled the gun out of his pocket. At that point, the magazine fell out. The man told the other men to get out of the shop and call 911.

After Lopez left the shop, he drove on East Yellowstone Highway through Casper until police stopped him on First Street just west of Nichols Avenue. Police took Lopez into custody, searched the vehicle and found a pistol later identified as the one he used at the shop.

In an apparent separate incident, Julian C. Lopez was charged on Nov. 30 with felony counts of stalking and burglary, and misdemeanor counts of violating a protection order and property destruction after an incident in north Casper on Nov. 27, according to court records.

Police Sgt. Mike Ogden said this is the same Julian Lopez as the one involved in the alleged aggravated assault in October.