A Grand Island teen accused of firing gunshots that struck a home and multiple vehicles has had his case bound over to Hall County District Court. Eighteen-year-old Ernesto Villazana faces several felony charges, including unlawful discharge of a firearm, two counts of using a firearm to commit a felony, criminal mischief causing more than $5,000 in damage, and witness tampering. A theft charge was dismissed during his preliminary hearing on November 12, but a judge found probable cause for all remaining allegations.
According to court documents, police were called to the 400 block of West 16th Street around 2:10 a.m. on September 8 after gunfire hit a residence. Officers discovered a bullet had pierced the exterior siding, traveled through a wall, and struck just above the bed where two adults and a child were sleeping. A bullet was later recovered near the mattress. At the same time, residents nearby on West 17th Street reported smashed windshields and bullet holes in their vehicles, with shell casings found at the scene.
A witness reported seeing a pickup speeding away after the shots. Investigators later linked a 2002 GMC Sierra to the incident and connected Villazana to a shoplifting report at a Casey’s store three days later. The driver of the vehicle told police that Villazana and another man had left the pickup shortly before the gunfire and later instructed him to stop at Casey’s, where Villazana allegedly stole alcohol.
Villazana was arrested on September 18 at a Chick-fil-A parking lot and booked into the Hall County Department of Corrections. A district court date has not yet been scheduled.
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