Man who fired gun during ‘Repo Games’ quarrel given probation

A Las Vegas man convicted of firing his gun amid a quarrel with a reality TV production crew was ordered to serve five years of probation.

With about 15 people in court to support him Tuesday, Carlos Enrique Barron said the conviction has changed him and “taught me a lot of things.” He asked District Judge James Bixler for “mercy” and “leniency.”

Barron, a 43-year-old former teacher and brother of North Las Vegas city councilman Isaac Barron, was found guilty in January of felony assault with use of a deadly weapon, carrying a concealed weapon and burglary.

Ben Bateman, Barron’s attorney, said “he didn’t go looking for trouble. It showed up on his doorstep.”

Prosecutor Alex Chen acknowledged before the sentencing that Barron “has the tools to succeed at probation,” but argued that Barron, who had no criminal history, also was capable of uncharacteristic behavior.

“When you have a gun, when you’re shooting it randomly at people, the potential of so many people being hurt as we’ve seen in society today simply exists,” Chen said. “Just because he can complete probation, the court shouldn’t automatically give it to him.”

In handing down the probation, Bixler ordered Barron to serve at least 90 days in the Clark County Detention Center. That time could be served on the weekends, Bixler said, and did not require Barron to report immediately to jail.

Authorities have said that on the night of April 25, 2011, Barron stepped outside his home in the 2900 block of Vigilante Court, near Azure Avenue and Losee Road, and fired three shots, believing a crew from Spike TV’s “Repo Games” was trying to repossess his vehicle.

At trial, Barron told a jury that he was awoken by an alarm for his Toyota FJ Cruiser, before he walked outside armed with a 9mm Glock handgun. He said he fired only two shots into the air, which conflicted with other testimony.

No one was injured in the shooting.

The crew was actually looking for a different vehicle, but vans from the production were parked in front of Barron’s home.

“This was the perfect storm,” he told Bixler on Tuesday. “It was destiny. … I think I made the right choices, and no one got hurt. I’m glad of that.”

Contact reporter David Ferrara at 702-380-1039 or dferrara@reviewjournal.com. Find him on Twitter: @randompoker.