Elsa PD: Couple charged with pepper-spraying elderly man over parking dispute

ELSA, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Elsa Police Department is investigating an assault on an elderly man outside of an elementary school.

Monica Edith Zarate, 30, was charged with injury to a child/elderly/disabled with intent to cause bodily injury.

Matthew Avery Ybarra, 30, was charged with child/elderly/disabled with intent to cause bodily injury, obstruction/retaliation and possession of a controlled substance, according to a news release from the Elsa Police Department.

At 9 a.m. on Monday, May 5, authorities responded to a disturbance outside JFK Elementary School that involved an altercation between a parent and an elderly man.

According to the release, initial reports state that the parent identified as Zarate had improperly parked her vehicle in front of the school.

A 70-year-old man approached Zarate to inform her she was not allowed to park at that location, and a verbal altercation began.

^{Monica Edith Zarate and Matthew Avery Ybarra (Source: Elsa Police Department)}

During the argument, a man, identified as Ybarra, who is Zarate's husband, ran toward the 70-year-old, forcefully pushed him to the ground and began to kick him.

Zarate then approached the victim and began spraying him in the face with pepper spray, causing additional harm and impairment, the release added.

Zarate was arrested at the scene. Ybarra left the scene. However, he was found and arrested on Thursday.

The victim was treated for his injuries and later released from the scene.

Anyone with additional information related to this incident is asked to contact the Elsa Investigative Division Police Department at (956) 262-4721.