Gunman Updates His Facebook Status, Adds New Friends During 16-Hour Police Standoff
- Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:09pm by
Billy Hallowell
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A picture of Valdez and "Veronica" shared on Facebook during the standoff
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jason Valdez is no stranger to Utah police. His latest brush with the law, however, may have been the most public.
An armed Valdez, 36, held a woman hostage at a motel in a tense 16-hour, overnight standoff with SWAT teams, all while finding time to keep his family and friends updated on Facebook, authorities said.
He even got some help from the outside over the social network: A friend posted that a SWAT officer was hiding in the bushes.
“Thank you homie,” Valdez replied. “Good looking out.”
When officers swarmed the room, Valdez shot himself in the chest with a handgun, Ogden police said. On Tuesday, he was in critical condition.
The Associated Press reviewed Valdez’s Facebook profile page on Tuesday. Police believe he wrote the messages during the standoff.
It wasn’t immediately clear, however, whether police were following the posts in real-time, though the department spokeswoman said officers routinely search the Internet and other sources for background on suspects.
In all, Valdez made six posts and added at least a dozen new friends.
His family and friends responded with 100 comments. Some people offered words of support, and others pleaded for him to “do the right thing.”
Court records show Valdez has a criminal history, including convictions for aggravated assault and domestic violence in front of a child.
In March, prosecutors filed felony and misdemeanor drug possession charges against Valdez. A judge issued a warrant for Valdez’s arrest after he missed a June 1 preliminary hearing in the case.
On Friday afternoon, Ogden police tried to serve Valdez with a felony drug warrant for the missed court appearance.
Valdez barricaded himself inside the Western Colony Inn.
“I’m currently in a standoff … kinda ugly, but ready for whatever,” Valdez wrote in his first post at 11:23 p.m. “I love u guyz and if I don‘t make it out of here alive that I’m in a better place and u were all great friends.”
Valdez said in posts that he was with a woman named Veronica. Police described her as a hostage.
In his posts, Valdez told friends when police shut off the power that his “hostage” was fine – and with him willingly – and that police are jeopardizing her life by their actions.
At 2:04 a.m., Valdez posted two pictures of himself and the woman.
“Got a cute `Hostage’ huh,” Valdez wrote of the photographs.
At 3:48 a.m., one of Valdez’ friends posted that police had a `gun ner in the bushes stay low.” Valdez thanked him in a reply.
The final post was at 7:25 a.m. Saturday: “Well i was lettin this girl go but these dumb bastards made an attempt to come in after i told them not to, so i popped off a couple more shots and now were startin all over again it seems …”
SWAT officers stormed Valdez’s room about 90 minutes later. Police never fired, Ogden Lt. Danielle Croyle said.
Police believe that responses from Valdez’s friend gave him an advantage.
Authorities are now discussing whether some of Valdez’ friends should be arrested and charged with obstruction of justice for hampering a police investigation. “We’re not sure yet how to deal with it,” said Croyle.
“We’re talking about it and trying to figure out how do we address the kind of conflict that it presents,” Croyle said.
Valdez could be facing new charges stemming from his actions during the standoff, including fire his handgun at police, Croyle said.
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Comments (49)
kapnkd
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:30pmAny bets he’s a BIG Obama lover???
Report Post »kapnkd
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:34pmWill Eric Holder now come to his rescue as well????
Report Post »southernORcobra
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 8:33amno cause he’s not one of his people
Report Post »kapnkd
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:27pmToo bad he didn’t go out in a body bag!!!!!!!!
Report Post »kapnkd
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 10:32pmOhhh, and…any bets he’s a BIG Obama lover???
Report Post »hamptonsurfer
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 8:54pmsounds like a win all around, guy is mortally wounded, none of utah’s finest were injured and a bunch of creeps came out of the woodwork to post some dopey displays of solidarity with a criminal. but if by the right thing, his friends meant unloading some lead into himself..glad he listened to his friends.
Report Post »flsnipe
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 7:28pmI hate rap, face book, thugs like him and his friends! How are ever going to get people like him and the ones that defend him to have an honest debate its to far gone we are to devided.
Report Post »trooper
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:49pmIt seems these illigal mexicans are taking some of the “lime light” away from the negros, I think all you nigros out there would start killing them and hopefully you’ll all kill eachother and the country will be safe again.
Report Post »teddrunk
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:45pmKnowing the level of common sense in most women are, this “bad boy” dirt bag will be an even bigger hit with the ladies.
Report Post »dscon
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:14pmAnonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:55pm
Hold FaceBook accountable, too! They could have shut his account down when they found out about it. They are just as complicit as his “friends!”
i agree…………
Report Post »if they can post or not post us in a flash, i am sure it can be done!
TankZ71
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:05pmA movie in the making. Facebook standoff. Glad they took down this trash. 100% behind Swat on this one.
Report Post »jim
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:58pmFor a thug in the middle of a shootout, his texting is quite dextrous and fluid. Now he can write to all his fans from prison.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:53pm.
Report Post »The head Homie, gun to the head…….
PureDrumFury
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:26pmToo bad he shot himself in the chest instead of the head. That would have put us out of our misery. What a lowlife.
Report Post »OneLeafTree
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:22pmDid we bring him back to the point of critical condition…sounds like they should have closed the hotel door for a few hours and come back to pick him up…Now we the taxpayer (I’m assuming) will have to pay for his health care, lawyer, jail time, sentencing, and most likely costs of lawsuits where he was “emotionally put under stress to shoot himself”.
Report Post »rl
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:56pmHe should have aimed a little higher and saved the tax payers A LOT of money…….
Report Post »rl
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:46pmGotta luv Facebook…….
Report Post »Poogie
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:37pmPpl will do anything for attention these days…
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:31pmTerminally ill culture?????
Report Post »I.Gaspar
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:29pmHis final update;
Report Post »Gonna show them.
Gonna pop myself in the chest…teach them to mess with me.
Might be single soon…or dead.
Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:01pm“I’ll show them. I’ll hurt myself, that will show them not to mess with me.”
Report Post »Signs that this moron is mentally ill.
duckman1911
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:27pmI wish the police would have just let him bleed out on the floor… I dont want our tax money supporting this POS. Any of his friends that gave him reports on what the police were doing should be arrested for obstructing justice and aiding a fugitive. A quick trial and a swift hanging should suffice…
Report Post »Southernguy
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 7:02amBingo!!!!!
Report Post »moreteaplease
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:26pmAuthorities are now discussing whether some of Valdez’ friends should be arrested and charged with obstruction of justice for hampering a police investigation. “We’re not sure yet how to deal with it,” said Croyle.
“We’re talking about it and trying to figure out how do we address the kind of conflict that it presents,” Croyle said.
Report Post »*************************************************
Before PC took over the country there would have been no question as to how to handle this issue.
LOOKING_BOTH_WAYS
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:19pmPC… Personal Computer ? …. your post fits both definitions
Report Post »michaelmoron
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:24pmWhy do you put this man down ? He is just looking for a better life… in a two cent motel w/ a crack w#ore..err…hostage.
Report Post »frustratedwithgovt
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:23pmIf someone was watching the cops and tipping him off then I hope they do arrest and charge them.
Report Post »Robert-CA
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:49pmYep that’s aiding & abetting .
Report Post »heavywx
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:21pmFacebooks officials were present at bilderburg 2011.
nuff said
Report Post »nomercy63
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:20pmTime for everyone to dump Facebook nothing but trouble and garbage!!!
Report Post »SREGN
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:16pmI guess if he dies we can put an Ex on Valdez. Get it Exxon Valdez? Oh, well. Sorry.
Report Post »LOOKING_BOTH_WAYS
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:16pmNot bad… but ..ya ..a little lame………… :-o
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:11pmFacebook faceoff and standoff; sounds like there will soon be another hollywood liberal movie hitting the big screens on this kind of story – with the cops playing the usual bad guys and the bad guys made into the heros.
Report Post »hersey10
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:16pmThis is the type of trash that is coming over the boarder .
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:18pmValdez better enroll himself in some community college, he will be fast-tracked to citizenship. I mean if he doesn’t have a few anchor babies already to get him an advantage
Report Post »Sound The Trumpet In Zion
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:27pm“Authorities are now discussing whether some of Valdez’ friends should be arrested and charged with obstruction of justice for hampering a police investigation. “We’re not sure yet how to deal with it,” said Croyle”
Report Post »If you can’t be sure how to handle it then perhaps they should put someone in charge that knows how. These “people” were aiding and abetting this event and they should be charged with obstruction of justice as well as aiding and abetting.
fitsgibbons
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:31pmThis guy is pure TRASH!! That picture with his “trampa” really IRKS the hell out of me…Homie. Time to take a break and go beat on the heavy bag for awhile….HOMIE….AAAAARRRGGGG!! Have a nice day folks.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:53pmMaybe the Washington Post has a job for him and give him asylum.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 4:55pmHold FaceBook accountable, too! They could have shut his account down when they found out about it. They are just as complicit as his “friends!”
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:04pmObama rammed through the Dream Act using Executive Order. Write your Congressional Rep. and Speaker Boehner and tell them to put a stop to this. Executive Order was never meant to be used this way, and it is the Legistlative Branch who makes law, NOT the Executive Branch!
Report Post »Cherynn
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:25pmThey should’ve let him bleed out, story over. Now, how much tax payer money is being invested to save this jerk from a self inflicted gun shot????? The world would be a better place without this kind of trash.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 5:39pm@Sound the Trumpet:
I have to agree with you on the posting you made; if these idiotic friends of his, such as the one saying where the agents were located, can be proven to be breakers of any laws in relation to this situation – throw the weight of the courts after their tails, and if found guilty, appropriate punishments for them on EACH account to run one after another.
Report Post »Sicboy
Posted on June 22, 2011 at 6:49pmStupid Homie couldn’t shoot himself in the head? Now the taxpayers are in the hook for the hospital bill. Stupid Homie.
Report Post »Chief Moolah Eggplant
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 12:28amHomie tucks the tops of his ears under his hat…dat be cool!
Report Post »the hawk
Posted on June 23, 2011 at 12:44ami‘M TELLIN ya vALDEZ’S FRIEND IS GOING TO jAIL!
Report Post »