By Roger Lanse

Silver City Police Department officers were dispatched to 1221 Louisiana Street on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, at about 2:22 a.m., regarding a reported disturbance. A Grant County Regional Dispatch Authority dispatcher told the officer the caller was saying a named male was shooting at his residence and breaking windows.

According to an SCPD incident report, when the officer arrived, he noticed a male, later identified as Charles Pilley, 41, homeless, facing the residence and carrying something in his hand, which the officer could not identify. As soon as Pilley saw the officer, the report said, he placed the items on the ground, which were later identified as a bat, a crowbar, and a large chain with a nut attached. Those items were seized and Pilley was placed in investigative detention.

The 53-year-old male victim stated he had let Pilley park his vehicle on 13th Street, but today, according to the report, Pilley was mad at him because the victim had some of Pilley's belongings with him. At first, the victim thought Pilley had fired a weapon at his house but later learned Pilley had hit the door with a crowbar and proceeded to break a window. There were two witnesses from the address, a male and a female, who witnessed the incident. The victim, according to a blotter entry, stated Pilley earlier had actually made entry inside the victim's home.

The victim placed a value of $500 to repair the door and $300 to repair the window but did not want to pursue charges against Pilley. However, the report stated a warrant for criminal damage will be obtained against Pilley.