An Aransas Pass man was in the Nueces County Jail on Monday, March 19, in lieu of $25,000 bail on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after beachgoers complained he had been firing a gun on the beach.

Patrol officer Scott Grumbles said a man told him at a convenience store early Sunday, March 18, that somebody had been shooting on the beach, but police had as yet heard no reports from vacationers.

Minutes later, at 1:21 a.m., police dispatchers sent officers to the area of Pole 28, where shots had been reported.

Grumbles said when he arrived, he saw two men sitting on the sand, and as he approached them, one of them got up and ran away.

Grumbles gave chase on foot, and after about 50 yards, he reported, bystanders stopped the man, giving Grumbles a chance to catch up.

The man is identified as Anthony Torres, 17; police reports don’t say how he was identified as the suspect. Torres was taken to the county jail later on Sunday.

Texas law classes assault with a deadly weapon as a first-degree felony, punishable on conviction by between five and 99 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.