UPDATE: Man allegedly arrested with firearm, body armor faces six Mower County charges

(ABC 6 News) – UPDATE: Court records filed Monday detail the arrest of a 25-year-old Austin man Friday.

Jose Juan Alvarez-Bentzin Jr. faces six charges in Mower County Court: three counts of felony 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon; felony committing a crime while wearing/possessing a bulletproof vest; felony possession of a firearm with an altered serial number; and gross misdemeanor possession or transport of weapons or ammunition by an ineligible person.

According to court documents, Austin police responded to 709 6th Avenue NW at about 11 a.m. after receiving calls that a man was threatening the home’s residents with a firearm, while wearing a ballistic vest.

Court documents allege that when police arrived, Alvarez-Bentzin Jr. was standing near the home’s garage, wearing a bullet-resistant vest.

According to court documents, police told Alvarez-Bentzin Jr. to put his hands behind his head and get on the ground.

Police claim that he dropped what appeared to be a cellphone, took off the vest, and sat on the ground facing away from officers, while “messing with something near his waist or pants leg.”

Officers allegedly handcuffed Alvarez-Bentzin Jr. while he sat on the ground, then searched him and located a black semi-automatic pistol tucked into his pant leg between his knee and ankle.

Police claim the pistol’s serial number had been filed off. According to court documents, the pistol had a magazine, but both items were unloaded. Police claim they did find a single bullet in Alvarez-Bentzin Jr.’s right front pocket.

Police further allege that Alvarez-Bentzin Jr. offered to “walk (police) through” unloading the weapon.

According to court documents, the bullet-resistant vest was Second Chance Body armor, which is both resistant to stab wounds and ballistics.

Police claim that they spoke to three alleged victims, who said they had accused Alvarez-Bentzin Jr. of stealing items from the home before he allegedly pointed the pistol at them.

While they were speaking, police claim Alvarez-Bentzin Jr. looked at one of the men and said “we’re going to have the BCA here soon again, I promise you.”

According to court documents, police found an iPad and several watches on Alvarez-Bentzin Jr., and returned two of those to a woman in the home.

Alvarez-Bentzin Jr. allegedly told police the gun belonged to one of the alleged victims, but admitted that the man’s DNA would likely not be on it.

Mower County judge Kevin Siefkin set Alvarez-Bentzin Jr.’s bail at $150,000 at his court appearance Monday.

According to court documents, Alvarez-Bentzin Jr. has a pending 3rd-degree drug sale charge in Mower County Court from an alleged staged buy in March of 2022.

His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 28.

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(ABC 6 News) – Austin police announced the arrest of a 25-year-old man at 709 6th Avenue NW Friday.

According to Capt. David McKichan, police were told that Jose Juan Alvarez-Bentzin Jr., of Austin, had displayed a gun and was wearing body armor.

Police allege that they arrived at the address shortly after 11 a.m. Aug. 11 and detained Alvarez-Bentzin Jr. in the yard.

Police claim Alvarez-Bentzin Dr. was indeed wearing body armor, and police recovered a firearm while searching him.

McKichan said Alvarez-Bentzin Jr. has been taken to the Mower County Jail.

Charges have not yet been filed, and the case remains under investigation.