A marijuana deal gone bad erupts in gunfire, say Pasco police
What started as a payment for stolen marijuana, ended with gun fire in front of a Pasco auto dealership.
Nicholas V. Maldonado, 28, told police he was paying a man he called “Bob” for marijuana he stole a couple of years ago.
When he sat down in a silver Honda at a Court Street gas station around noon on Sunday, Jose Valdez, 24, noticed Maldonado’s tattoos, and asked for a closer look.
When Maldonado uncovered the tattoos, that’s when Valdez reached for what Maldonado thought was a gun.
But he didn’t stick around long enough to see. He sprinted from the car, calling a friend to pick him up in a Suzuki Forenza in front of West Coast Auto Sales on Marie Street.
Valdez allegedly pointed a .380-caliber pistol at the car with three people inside and fired it five times toward the backseat of the driver’s side. Three bullets hit the rear panel and bumper area, said Pasco police.
Valdez, 24, is being held on an investigative hold on three counts of first-degree assault.
Deputy Prosecutor Frank Jenny asked for $75,000 bail for the Valdez during his first appearance Tuesday. He pointed out Valdez had one previous conviction for third-degree theft in 2015, and the shooting allegation shows he could be a danger to the community.
Defense attorney Michael Quillen asked for a lower bail, saying Valdez is only alleged to have fired the shots, and there is nothing in his past to show that he wouldn’t show up to court.
Judge Jackie Shea Brown set bail at $75,000.
Pasco police were called after people heard several shots and saw a shooter was running away They found the Forenza, along with Maldonado, Travis A. Shandy, 32, and Heidi R. Williams, 28, around Road 36 and Ruby Street.
Maldonado told police about meeting Valdez. He said he owed “Bob” $700 to $800 and said that he knew “Bob” and Valdez from previous drug deals.
Maldonado had a friend call Valdez’s cellphone and when Valdez arrived Monday morning at a convenience store to talk, police arrested him.
This story was originally published July 25, 2018 at 1:00 PM.