Update: Richland man faces attempted murder for allegedly trying to shoot store manager
A 20-year-old man had been drinking and got into a fight with his girlfriend before going on a tear through the Richland Home Depot parking lot Wednesday evening.
Damyen Juan Cardenas told Richland investigators he’d been at the Fairchild Cinemas before he headed toward the hardware store and started threatening people with a .40 caliber Glock handgun, according to newly released court documents.
Cardenas remained in the Benton County jail on Friday after his bail was set at $500,000 during a brief court appearance Thursday afternoon. He is being held on suspicion of attempted second-degree murder and two counts of first-degree assault.
Richland police initially posted on Facebook that Cardenas approached Home Depot about 6 p.m. from the nearby movie theater. It’s not clear if he was ever inside the theater with the gun. He did tell police that he owned the Glock.
Investigators said as he walked across the Home Depot parking lot he pointed the pistol at a couple in a parked car. He racked the slide of the gun while demanding they get out of the vehicle, said court documents.
When they got out, he told them, “It’s not you, it’s me,” before walking toward the store’s entrance, police said in the Facebook post.
In the parking lot, he also broke out the windows of a parked Ford Focus, injuring his hand, according to court documents.
As he walked toward the store’s entrance, he threw the magazine loaded with bullets to the ground, breaking it and scattering the rounds. Police recovered 21 bullets from the ground, said the documents.
At some point, Cardenas allegedly pointed the gun at a customer and her child but ended up handing the gun over to the woman, police said on Facebook.
She took the gun to a customer service desk and hid it, while employees called police, said the documents.
“Cardenas entered the store a short time later, obviously distraught, and was lingering around the customer service desk,” Officer Brandon Koe wrote in an affidavit to hold Cardenas in jail.
Several employees said he was asking about his gun and ammo. He ended up discovering it hidden under the customer service counter. After he found it, he racked the slide again and pointed the gun at several people, according to investigators.
Store security video showed Cardenas pointing the gun at the store’s assistant manager and pulling the trigger, said the court documents. Initially, police said he’d allegedly tried firing twice at the manager.
When the gun didn’t fire, Cardenas slammed it on the ground and walked outside, as the manager then picked up the gun.
Richland police, along with Benton County sheriff’s deputies and West Richland police officers, surrounded the store, and found Cardenas outside with his hands up near the entrance.
This story was originally published October 26, 2023 at 12:07 PM.