Pete Valdez III, who is accused of trying to shoot a Gilroy
police officer in the face, has been declared competent for
trial.
Pete Valdez III, who is accused of trying to shoot a Gilroy police officer in the face, has been declared competent for trial.
However, the setting of his trial date was delayed Thursday after he was not transferred to the South County Courthouse from the Santa Clara County Jail because of a “medical situation.”
Judge Jacqueline Arroyo delayed the decision to set a trial date for Valdez after he was declared competent to stand trial at a private hearing April 9.
Valdez, the son of former Gilroy City Councilman Pete Valdez Jr., faces felony charges of attempted murder of a police officer, assault of a police officer with a firearm, being a felon in possession of a gun, and delaying or resisting a police officer. If convicted of these charges Valdez, who has been denied bail, would spend the rest of his life in prison, police said.
About 3 a.m. Nov. 15, 2008, Gilroy police officer John Ballard noticed Valdez biking east on West Eighth Street without a headlight and on the wrong side of the road, police said. When Ballard tried to stop him, Valdez took off.
Ballard caught up with Valdez a few blocks later and a foot chase ensued, police said. During the pursuit, Valdez punched and kicked the officer, then pulled a .25-caliber semiautomatic handgun loaded with seven hollow-point bullets, according to police. Valdez aimed the gun at Ballard’s face and repeatedly pulled the trigger, but the gun jammed and did not fire, police said.
Ballard resumed fighting with Valdez while another officer arrived and helped subdue and arrest Valdez, police said. In an interview after the incident, Valdez said he pulled the gun in hopes that an officer would shoot and kill him.
“I don’t want to live,” said a crying Valdez after he was apprehended, according to court records.
Valdez has 10 prior convictions including three felony convictions for a strong-arm robbery, according to court records.
Valdez was not transferred to the South County Courthouse from county jail this week because of a “medical situation,” said Mark Cursi, spokesman for the Santa Clara County Department of Correction. However, he said he could not elaborate on the situation.
Both Valdez’s attorney, Ingo Brauer, and Deputy District Attorney Vishal Bathija conferred briefly with Judge Jacqueline Arroyo after the judge decided to continue the hearing.
Two court-ordered doctors found Valdez incompetent last summer, and it looked as if a jury would decide whether Valdez should face charges of attempted murder and three other felonies. However, he is now scheduled to face trial after the private hearing on April 9.
A woman who identified herself as Valdez’s sister would not comment on the hearing Thursday.
The court is scheduled to reconvene at 9 a.m. June 10 to set Valdez’s trial date.
