The gunman chased a man into a home on the Pascua Yaqui reservation and fired multiple times, killing one man, a witness testified in U.S. District Court in Tucson on Wednesday.
“He started unloading into the house like a madman or terrorist,” Ramon Romero said in the trial of Joseph Edward Camargo.
Camargo is accused of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Rolando Garcia, who was killed in September 2011.
Testifying in federal court before Judge Raner Collins, Romero said he, Camargo and Jesus Garcia had been drinking beer when they decided to drive to a house to buy a small amount of marijuana. Along the way, they stopped at a convenience store nearby to buy more beer. There they met with Richard Solis, whom they picked up and brought along.
Romero said once they reached the house, he walked around to the back door where he went inside to speak with Robert Cruz about buying some marijuana.
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With the transaction complete, Romero said he began to walk back to his car where the other men awaited. Along the way he saw Rolando Garcia, and the two men began to talk.
When they reached Romero’s car, a second car had parked behind it and Camargo was talking with the occupants, Romero said.
As that conversation grew heated, Romero said Camargo turned his attention to Rolando Garcia.
Camargo and Rolando Garcia then began to fight. Others from inside the house then came outside to see what was happening, Romero said.
At some point, although details in his testimony were unclear, Romero said Rolando Garcia brandished a handgun and then ran into the house.
That’s when Camargo charged after him and began firing into the house, Romero said.
Rolando Garcia died from gunshot wounds and Cruz was injured.
Camargo faces charges of first-degree murder, assault, possession of ammunition by a prohibited person and using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Figueroa said the case was an example of lawless youth conducting “armed combat in the streets.”
“Some of the people you will hear from live by a different code,” Figueroa told jurors, noting many witnesses were reluctant to speak with police and changed their stories over time.
One of those was Solis, who was in the car at the time of the shooting but had fallen asleep from drinking too much and using heroin earlier in the day, according to testimony.
Solis, who also is Rolando Garcia’s grandfather, had earlier told police he only “vaguely” remembered Camargo. In his testimony, however, Solis said he did know Camargo.
He then threatened the defendant, intimating that he would have hurt Camargo if he had known Camargo was the shooter.
Solis, who is currently serving time in prison, leered at Camargo, then drew his hand across his neck in a cutting motion before courtroom security officers led him out of the courtroom.
Defense attorney Brad Roach asked for a mistrial, but his motion was denied.
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