A few days after New Year’s 2019, Gwinnett County police responded to a Buford home to find a man crumpled on the front lawn, bleeding from his head.
After some investigating, officers learned the injured man started the incident by holding a homeowner at gunpoint during a domestic dispute. The suspect then challenged the homeowner to a fistfight, which he quickly — and definitively — lost.
Not only did it bruise the man’s body and pride, but it also led to him becoming a felon.
On Monday, Jonathan Raymond Rico, 37, of Dacula, was found guilty of aggravated assault and a firearm possession charge, according to the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office. He was acquitted on a count of third-degree child cruelty.
The brawl happened during the night of Jan. 5, 2019, the DA’s Office said in a news release.
The homeowner told officers that Rico called him earlier that day, saying he was coming over. The victim said he thought Rico was going to drop off a payment, but Rico instead pulled out a 9 mm handgun and pointed it at the homeowner’s head, the release said.
The homeowner’s fiancee and 13-year-old son witnessed the attack, the release said. The child ran to a neighbor’s house to get help, while the others pleaded for Rico to put the gun away.
He eventually walked back to his pickup truck and dropped off the gun, but he soon returned to the front door to pick a fight, the release said.
A few punches later, Rico was left bleeding on the grass and also suffering from a broken ankle. The victim gave the injured man a towel to clean himself while they waited for police to arrive.
He was booked into the Gwinnett County jail, where he remained until the end of January, according to jail records. He was later granted a $2,950 bond.
Rico was sentenced to five years in prison followed by 10 years of probation, the release said.
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