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AZ Man Gets 90 Days Jail for Shooting His Car That Wouldn't Start

By Cynthia Hsu, Esq. on July 11, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

What kind of man shoots his own car? Apparently, one that is really frustrated with their vehicle of choice, including Arizona man Lauriano Lawrence Lovato.

Lovato went out to his car at around 9 a.m. in April and tried to start up his car, reports the Daily Miner.

But alas, it did not start. And in what was probably a fit of a rage - or at least a fit of frustration - Lovato shot his car twice. The shots went through the windshield and into the car's dashboard. And, guess what: Lovato's actions actually set off a SWAT team standoff.

Neighbors heard the sound of the gunshots, who reported it to the police. Police arrived at the scene and found some bullet casings, reports the Daily Miner.

Shots fired, bullet casings... the responding officers were understandably unsure as to what kind of situation they were facing. So, officers established a perimeter around the house and tried to communicate with Lovato who was inside, according to the Daily Miner.

During the entire ordeal, Lovato says he was blissfully taking a nap inside, the Daily Miner reports. He had no idea that he had caused such a huge commotion.

Eventually, police broke into the house and found Lovato on a couch in the back of the house. According to Lovato, he had slept through the entire ordeal, even though officers had used loudspeakers to try to communicate with him, reports the Daily Miner.

The end result? Lovato pled guilty to a count of discharging a gun unlawfully within city limits and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and 3 years of probation, the Daily Miner reports.

Lovato's gun firing was probably an unlawful discharge of a gun because he fired it into a vehicle, which can be dangerous, right outside his home in his neighborhood. According to Arizona law, it is unlawful to discharge a firearm with criminal negligence within or into a municipality.

While a man who shoots his own car, like Lauriano Lawrence Lovato, may seem like he's only damaging his own property, he is actually also breaking the law.

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