A judge set bail at $1.05 million for a Vancouver man accused of shooting vehicles outside a Clark County sheriff’s deputy’s home and at a second home earlier this month, and pointing a gun at two pedestrians in September.
Daniel Cruz Martinez, 23, appeared Thursday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of drive-by shooting, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and second-degree malicious mischief, as well as second-degree assault in the separate case, court records show.
A Clark County Jail Pre-Booking Sheet indicates Cruz Martinez has mental health issues and lists delusions.
He is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 27.
Vancouver police responded about 1:45 a.m. Dec. 7 for a drive-by shooting in the 12600 block of Southeast Park Street. There, they found two parked vehicles with bullet holes. The home, which belongs to a sheriff’s deputy, was occupied by the family at the time, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Police found six WMA (Winchester military ammunition) 5.56 mm NATO caliber cartridge casings in the street. Investigators noted that caliber is used with AR-15-style semiautomatic rifles, the affidavit states.
Minutes later, police responded to another shooting in the 14100 block of Southeast Sixth Street. There, they found bullet holes in two more vehicles, as well as the garage door of the home. They also located 11 WMA 5.56 mm NATO caliber cartridge casings in the street, court records say. That home was also occupied at the time.
Between both shootings, total damage was in excess of $1,500, police said.
Surveillance cameras in the area of both shootings captured the suspect’s vehicle, a 2003 Toyota 4Runner with black molding and running boards. Police searched local reporting systems and found a Toyota 4Runner that matched the description and was involved in a malicious mischief complaint from Sept. 9. The vehicle is listed as being owned by Cruz Martinez. They also learned the vehicle was involved in a second-degree assault case, in which the driver pointed a gun at two pedestrians near the intersection of Southeast 11th Street and 125th Avenue, according to court records.
That driver’s description matched that of the suspect in the drive-by shootings, court records say.
Threatened police station
Police said they learned Cruz Martinez called 911 on Sept. 12 and threatened to shoot at the police station. At that time, police determined he was experiencing a mental health crisis and did not arrest him, the affidavit states.
Investigators also learned Cruz Martinez was the respondent in a protection order stemming from a domestic violence harassment complaint from Aug. 25. In that complaint, he allegedly posted an image on social media with a person pointing an AR-15-style rifle at a woman’s head, court records say.
Police found the Toyota 4Runner on Dec. 8 outside Cruz Martinez’s home in the 600 block of Southeast 131st Court. Nearby surveillance footage captured the vehicle leaving minutes before the first drive-by shooting, police said, and returning minutes after the second shooting, according to the affidavit.
A search of Cruz Martinez’s residence turned up a semiautomatic AR-15-style rifle, WMA 5.56 mm NATO ammunition, a semiautomatic AK-47 rifle, a 20-gauge shotgun and a Sig Sauer pistol case with an empty magazine, the affidavit states.
Cruz Martinez was arrested Wednesday.
During a police interview, he allegedly said he knew he was prohibited from having firearms, and he denied knowing anything about the guns police seized from his home. But then, police say Cruz Martinez asked, “So can I get my guns back?” according to the affidavit.
Cruz Martinez allegedly also said he knows the family of the deputy whose house was shot at. When asked why he shot at the house, he said, “You want the truth?” And then he allegedly said they owed him money and stole his checkbook and Game Boy Advance.
When asked if things were now even between them, he allegedly responded, “No. That was just a warning,” court records state.
