EVERETT — After prosecutors dismissed charges against another Everett man, police arrested a new suspect Wednesday in connection to a fatal pellet gun shooting.
On Feb. 8, police arrested Alexander “Moose” Moseid, 33, for investigation of second-degree manslaughter in the shooting of Zeke Smith, 38. On March 1, prosecutors charged Moseid with that crime — but then dismissed the charges less than two weeks later, after reviewing new security footage.
The footage from outside a house in the 7500 block of Juniper Drive led detectives to believe it was Aaron Trevino, 44, who shot Smith, not Moseid, according to a police report. Police arrested Trevino on Wednesday.
Around 6:40 a.m. Feb. 8, Smith knocked on the window to Trevino’s bedroom in the basement of the Juniper Drive house, footage reportedly shows.
After knocking for a couple minutes, Smith tried to open the window. A few minutes later, Trevino pulled the blinds up and opened the window, holding a scoped rifle and pointing it in Smith’s direction, according to the report.
The gunman was reportedly a bald man “with prominent ears,” wearing a dark colored long-sleeved shirt and dark pants, police wrote. The glow of a cigarette was visible near his mouth. The man’s appearance did not match Moseid or the other housemates, detectives wrote.
Trevino stepped one foot outside the door and reportedly shot Smith in the back as he turned away from him, according to the report.
Around 7 a.m., police received an open 911 call with two men yelling at each other.
“You’re a lying piece of (expletive)” one of the men yelled.
“I can’t believe you shot me,” the other responded.
Officers found Smith on the ground east of Juniper Drive, police said. He died at the scene.
Witnesses said Smith showed up at the house trying to get a hold of Trevino.
A witness reported reviewing surveillance footage taken from the house, and saw Moseid go outside to confront Smith and tell him to leave the property, according to court documents. The witness then heard a “pop sound.” The witness reported seeing Moseid return to the house holding the pellet rifle, claiming to have shot Smith.
Investigators asked for a copy of this footage, but the witness declined to provide it since police didn’t have a warrant.
That day, detectives also interviewed Trevino, who reported Moseid went outside alone to confront Smith. Trevino reported Moseid asked if Trevino wanted him to “buck a couple shots at (Smith).”
That night, police obtained a warrant to search the house and seize the surveillance footage, according to the report. Investigators found a break-action pellet rifle inside the home.
The footage, meanwhile, was password protected. A month later, on March 8, detectives cracked it and watched the video, the report said. Four days later, prosecutors dismissed the charges against Moseid.
Deputy prosecutor David Minaai wrote in court documents that additional evidence had been discovered that exonerated Moseid.
Trevino has two felony convictions, for forgery and second-degree identity theft. He has been convicted of 19 misdemeanors as an adult.
In court Thursday, Everett District Court Judge Pro Tem Robert Grant found probable cause for second-degree manslaughter and set bail at $100,000, as requested by prosecutors. Grant made the temporary finding “without prejudice” Thursday, because Trevino didn’t have a lawyer assigned to him. Moseid had been assigned a public defender, meaning Trevino may need a lawyer from a different law firm.
According to state law, first-degree manslaughter implies someone “recklessly” caused the death of another person. Second-degree manslaughter means someone caused a death “with criminal negligence.”
Jonathan Tall: 425-339-3486; jonathan.tall@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @snocojon.
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