The man accused of killing a mother of five children earlier this year fired the gun because he was provoked, according to court testimony Wednesday.
An eyewitness to the Feb. 2 shooting on the 500 South onramp to I-15 said a car driven by the woman, Diane Purper, stopped repeatedly on the onramp, as if she were trying to make them hit her car.Before that, a passenger in Purper's car called the alleged shooter, Maneulillo Valenzuela, 25, a "f---ing wetback," testified Jamie Prescott, who was a passenger in Valenzuela's car.
The exchange that lead to the shooting began at a stoplight on 200 West, Prescott said. The car driven by Valenzuela pulled up behind Purper when the light was green but Purper was not moving, so Valenzuela honked several times.
The passenger in Purper's car, Fred Jensen, 22, stepped out of the car and gestured obscenely to Valenzuela before shouting the epithet, Prescott said.
Jensen then got back into the car, Purper turned right and both cars proceeded up the onramp.
"That's when she started pushing her brakes, and Manuelillo started getting pissed," Prescott testified. She said Valenzuela told passenger Jose Natane-Coralles to give him the gun and said: "I'm going to kill this b----."
Natane-Coralles is the only person being held in the shooting. He faces one count of murder, a first-degree felony. He was in court for a preliminary hearing, expected to conclude Wednesday, that will determine whether Natane-Coralles will be held for trial.
Valenzuela, who was also charged, has fled to Sinaloa, Mexico, police say.
Prescott said Valenzuela grabbed the gun, shoved a clip into it and pushed her head down with his right hand and began firing at Purper as he passed her car.
"Then we went back to our apartment, and nothing was said about it," she said.
Police arrested Prescott, Natane-Coralles, another girl and a 12-year-old boy two days later. All of them were riding in the car at the time of the shooting.
Prescott said Natane-Coralles hesitated before he handed the gun to Valenzuela. "But everybody was always scared of Manuelillo."