2 Valpo-area men charged in Friday morning gunfire
By Erin Guerra Post-Tribune correspondent January 14, 2013 1:16PM
David Baldwin
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Updated: January 28, 2013 10:57AM
Police said two men shooting an assault rifle in a back yard Friday morning took no precautions to protect their neighbors in their Porter Township subdivision, southwest of Valparaiso.
James Ramirez, 24, and David Baldwin Jr., 29, of different addresses in the 100 block of Goodview Drive, where the incident occurred, were charged with Class D felony criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon. They admitted shooting a rifle, handgun and AK-47, police said.
Baldwin also admitted drinking five beers, according to the police report.
The first complaint from a neighbor came in to 911 at 6 a.m., but police were unable to find anything until more complaints were made at about 8:30 a.m., and the anonymous neighbors gave police a suspect’s address.
According to the police report, Ramirez and Baldwin readily admitted shooting a new .22-caliber Ruger rifle. Baldwin later said they also shot a 9 mm Glock handgun and a Sportster AK-47.
The men showed police where they had been standing and in which direction they fired. There was no backstop and, while the rounds they used in AK-47 can travel 4 to 5 miles, police said, there was one house only 390 yards away and approximately 10 more within 1,000 yards in that direction, as well as County Road 200W, which has steady traffic.
No injuries or property damage were reported.
