Man faces attempted murder charges

An Aberdeen prison inmate appeared Monday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of two counts of attempted murder and kidnapping related to a November shooting in Vancouver.

Sidney P. Delaney, 39, is accused of abducting a woman and shooting at two men Nov. 11, 2013, after being asked to leave a duplex in the Harney Heights neighborhood, where he was unwelcome, Vancouver police Detective Darren McShea wrote in a court affidavit.

Judge Suzan Clark held him in lieu of $250,000 bail and appointed Vancouver attorney Clark Fridley to defend him. His arraignment on charges of two counts of attempted murder, one count of first-degree kidnapping and one count of second-degree assault is set for Thursday.

Court records don’t explain why Delaney was at the residence or any motive behind the alleged crimes.

Delaney was in a vehicle outside the duplex on East 17th Street when one of the duplex’s occupants, a man known only as Steve, asked him to leave the property, McShea wrote. Steve said Delaney responded by striking Steve in the head with a hard object, according to court records. Three other men inside the residence then decided to confront Delaney. When Delaney saw the men, he allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired it at the men.

“In fear, all three ran back into the house,” McShea wrote.

Meanwhile, a woman, Antoinette Valenzuela, was in the driver’s seat of a gold Honda parked in the duplex’s shared driveway, waiting for her boyfriend, Richard Burtch, to come out of the duplex’s other unit. After shooting at the three men, Delaney got into the passenger seat of the Honda, pointed a gun at Valenzuela and ordered her to drive him out of the area, McShea wrote.

Burtch saw what happened and began to pursue the vehicle on foot, according to court records. When Valenzuela saw Burtch running behind the car, she made an abrupt U-turn on Norris Road north of East 18th Street. She stopped the car and jumped out, prompting Delaney to pursue her, court records say.

By that time, Burtch had caught up to the vehicle. Delaney allegedly pointed the gun at Burtch. In an attempt to allow his girlfriend to escape, Burtch challenged Delaney to put away the gun and to fistfight, -McShea wrote.

Delaney agreed to the fistfight and began to overpower Burtch. A witness, Brandon Gillum, ran over to help Burtch. About that time, Delaney again pulled out his gun and fired it at Burtch, McShea wrote. Burtch said he could feel the heat from the muzzle flash on his face. He fell to the ground and played dead, while Gillum ran away, McShea wrote.

Burtch and Valenzuela saw Delaney walking away south on Norris Road, so they got into their vehicle and tried to drive away. Delaney apparently saw them and reached into the partially open driver’s window, grabbed the steering wheel with one hand and punched Burtch with the other, -McShea wrote. Burtch accelerated and veered over a curb, striking a sign post and a residence. Fearful that Delaney would continue to pursue them, they frantically tried to dislodge the vehicle from the residence. When that didn’t work, they fled on foot.

Delaney is currently serving time at Stafford Creek Corrections Center for a previous offense. He indicated that his release date is scheduled for Jan. 27.

He has an extensive criminal history in multiple states, including previous drug crimes, assault and theft.