Staff Report

Richard Arriola

CROMWELL — A Cromwell man was recently arrested for allegedly using a firearm to threaten a man.

Richard Arriola, 58, 12029 N. Raggedy Ann Road, Cromwell, is charged with intimidation with a deadly weapon, a level 5 felony; and pointing a firearm, a class A misdemeanor.

On July 25, 2023, a Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to a fight near a residence in Cromwell. A man said he had a verbal argument with Arriola.

According to court documents, the man said he drove by Arriola’s residence when Arriola removed a dark-colored shotgun from his vehicle. Arriola held the stock of the shotgun against his hip and the barrel was pointed in the man’s direction as he drove by.

Arriola told the deputy the man had a handgun in his hand during the altercation, which led him to retrieve a gray pipe from his vehicle to defend himself. When the deputy asked Arriola to show him the pipe, Arriola struggled to remove it from his vehicle as it was wedged between a seat and other items. The deputy saw a shotgun in Arriola’s vehicle. Arriola denied pointing the firearm at the man.

A witness said she didn’t see any firearms being displayed during the argument.

The man told the deputy he did not own a handgun.

Arriola was booked in the Kosciusko County Jail on March 30, 2024, with a $10,250 surety and cash bond.