After serving a year in jail, a Clark man who reportedly tried running over another man has been released to probation.

Jose N. Gonzalez, 64, received the sentence last week in Park County District Court on three felony counts. Five to seven years of prison time was suspended and could theoretically be imposed if Gonzalez violates the terms of his probation by, say, breaking the law.

Charging documents say the May 2024 incident stemmed from a dispute over a UTV that Gonzalez had allowed a man to borrow. Gonzalez believed the man had sold the side-by-side without his permission and traveled to the man’s Ralston residence to confront him. The conversation escalated into a physical fight and Gonzalez eventually got into his Volkswagen and raced at the man. The sedan struck the man and knocked him about 8 feet backwards, charging documents say, while the man’s wife barely got out of the way.

Gonzalez reportedly made another attempt to hit the man — hitting a trailer, the garage and a UTV — before leaving, according to accounts compiled by the Park County Sheriff’s Office.

Gonzalez later told a deputy that he was “pissed.” The deputy later overheard Gonzalez place a phone call in which he remarked that, “I wanted to kill that f—er.” 

The Park County Attorney’s Office initially charged Gonzalez with attempted second-degree murder, alongside other felonies, and successfully argued for him to be held on a $100,000 bond. This spring the office agreed to drop the murder charge in exchange for his guilty pleas to the other three counts: two of aggravated assault and battery and another of property destruction totaling $1,000 or more. 

However, when it came time for Gonzalez to change his pleas in April, he objected to the deal he’d signed. The defendant expressed frustration that the victims in the case hadn’t been charged with crimes, saying he’d been cheated with a fraudulent check.

“I don’t think it’s fair,” Gonzalez said through a Spanish translator.

His remarks prompted District Court Judge Bill Simpson to put the case back on track for a trial, but earlier this month, Gonzalez signed a very similar deal with prosecutors. He again agreed to plead guilty to the property destruction charge — related to the UTV he damaged — while pleading no contest to the aggravated assault charges that related to driving at the Ralston couple.

Gonzalez also agreed to pay around $570 in court costs and $2,849.55 in restitution for the damaged UTV, which was owned by a different person; the defendant had disputed that figure in April.

No restitution is due to the Ralston couple.

“We’ve made multiple attempts to reach out to the victims, and we've ultimately determined that they have left this country,” Deputy Park County Prosecuting Attorney Larry Eichele said at the June 4 sentencing.

Gonzalez was released from the Cody jail later in the day, having served 371 days behind bars. While on probation he’s barred from contacting the owner of the UTV and must obey the law, among other standard conditions. Simpson indicated that he’ll expect Gonzalez to make payments of roughly $100 to $150 a month.