Valdez said he shot Gutierrez to defend his friend

A Renville man accused of shooting and killing another man last Thursday night told police he was defending a friend who was being attacked.

Julian Daniel Valdez, age 26, is charged with two counts of 2nd Degree Murder for the shooting of 31-year-old Pablo Eliazar Gutierrez. Valdez made his first appearance in Renville County District Court Tuesday morning. Unconditional bail was set at $500,000 and his next court appearance will be Monday August 23rd.

According to the criminal complaint, Valdez and a friend were playing pool in the garage of their home on Main Street in Renville when a car drove by in the alley. Gutierrez got out of the car and appeared that he wanted to fight. Valdez said he went into the home and retrieved his 45 caliber pistol.

When he got back into the garage, Gutierrez had calmed down, and the three of them talked and drank. But Valdez said when the subject turned to the shooting last month of Ricky Torres in Olivia, Gutierrez became angry and aggressive.

They told him to leave but he wouldn’t, and when he tried to grab Valdez’ friend, he swung and broke a pool cue against the side of Gutierrez’ head but he kept coming, and the friend told Valdez to shoot him. Valdez fired one shot which entered Gutierrez’ right side and killed him.

(JP Cola, KWLM)