Prosecutor Rachel Romano on Wednesday continued to build the case against Ulices Alexander Pineda, obtaining two new gun charges against the murder suspect by superseding his indictment.
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WV News) — Grand jurors who added two gun charges to a murder suspect’s indictment were part of a little bit of Harrison County history Wednesday.
To him, "you are the most important people in the entire system," Judge Thomas A. Bedell told grand jurors Wednesday.
Staff file photo by Matt Harvey
“You’re part of history,” said 32-year Circuit Judge Thomas A. Bedell. “To my knowledge, this is the first time a grand jury’s been called back into session in Harrison County.”
Actually, it's happened at least once before, in 2013 when Joe Shaffer, then the prosecutor, had Judge James A. Matish recall a grand jury to hear two cases.
The current term's grand jurors were impaneled and met in early January as part of the regular session and returned dozens of indictments. At the end of their work then, Bedell had told the jurors that he’d never seen a grand jury called back into session during his time on the bench, but that it was possible.
Prosecutor Rachel Romano on Wednesday continued to build the case against Ulices Alexander Pineda, obtaining two new gun charges against the murder suspect by superseding his indictment.
Staff photo by Matt Harvey
On Wednesday, Harrison County Prosecutor Rachel Romano obtained from the grand jury a superseding indictment against Ulices Alexander Pineda, 44, of Bridgeport, adding two charges alleging unlawful gun possession.
Pineda
Pineda was indicted in January on charges of murder and presentation of a firearm.
To obtain charges involving firearms possession, state and federal officials have to provide certified records of prior offenses that prohibit a defendant from having guns and ammunition.
In Pineda’s case, he has a 2005 felony drug conviction in Illinois, a Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force agent previously alleged.
The agent alleged that while serving a search warrant at Pineda’s 720 James St., Apartment D, address in Bridgeport in connection with the homicide of David Matthew “Matsy” Mazza, officers found a .40 caliber pistol and a .22 LR revolver, as well as ammunition, inside a safe.
Pineda is accused of killing Mazza last June 13 in North View.
Law enforcement alleges that surveillance video shows Pineda shooting Mazza from behind, including at close range while standing over the victim after he fell violently to the ground.
Mazza was shot four times, according to the criminal complaint filed by Clarksburg Police Detective Sgt. William “Bill” Swiger.
Mazza, 46, of Clarksburg, died the same day at WVU Medicine United Hospital Center.
No motive has been released by authorities. Neither man lived in the vicinity of the shooting.
Pineda is set for trial in July.
You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
Post a comment as Anonymous Commenter
Report
Watch this discussion.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.