Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Juan Pozada Zepeda, 31, of Honduras, and Jose Torres Vazquez, 32, of Mexico, were arrested early this morning after Pozada Zepeda allegedly threatened a patron of The Loft with a gun and Torres Vazquez allegedly punched the victim.

At about 12:28 a.m. on July 5, Gainesville Police Department officers responded to The Loft (11 SW 1st Street), where the victim said he had been inside the nightclub when Pozada Zepeda shoved him on his way to the bathroom. He said the shove caused him to fall backward, but he continued to the bathroom, and when he came out, he found Pozada Zepeda waiting for him.

The victim said Pozada Zepeda started arguing with him, and during the argument, Pozada Zepeda pulled a semi-automatic handgun from his pants and pointed it at him; he said Pozada Zepeda racked the slide and said, “I will kill you.”

The victim said he raised his hands and started to back away, but Torres Vazquez and an unknown man punched him three times in the chest. At that point, three witnesses intervened, stopping the altercation.

An officer reported that all of the witnesses saw the entire incident, and security guards at The Loft also stepped in and escorted Pozada Zepeda out of the nightclub. When officers arrived, several bystanders and witnesses pointed them toward Pozada Zepeda and Torres Vazquez, but the gun was not found, and officers speculated that Pozada Zepeda had passed it to an unknown person before they arrived.

Post Miranda, Pozada Zepeda reportedly said that he had gotten into a verbal argument with the victim in the bathroom and that the victim had pushed him first. He said he never had a firearm, and no firearm was involved in the incident, but a search incident to arrest reportedly produced nine .45 caliber live rounds in his pants pocket. When an officer asked about the bullets, Pozada Zepeda reportedly stated again that he never had a gun.

Pozada Zepeda did not have any identification and reportedly said he was in this country illegally; the arresting officer wrote that there was no way to confirm his identification at the time.

Post Miranda, Torres Vazquez reportedly declined to answer any questions; he was identified by his Mexican ID card.

Pozada Zepeda, who is described as homeless on his arrest report, has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. His criminal history is currently unavailable; Judge David Kreider ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.

Torres Vazquez, who is described as homeless on his arrest report, has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery. His criminal history is currently unavailable; Judge Kreider set bail at $110,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.