Man Arrested For Attempted Murder

A Key West man is charged with second degree attempted murder for an October 2015 shooting that left the victim paralyzed. Anthony Joseph Valdes, 40, was arrested today under the felony charge for shooting his long-time friend last fall.

The shooting occurred in Valdes’s front yard on Duck Avenue. At the time, Valdes told investigators that he and the Alvarez were arguing. Valdes said to the officers on the scene he had confronted Alvarez about money he believes was stolen from the house. The men argued inside, then moved out into the yard, according to Valdes’s account. Valdes said that Alvarez became violent, attempting to cut him, then grabbing him in a choke hold. Valdes said, because he feared for his life, he drew a handgun from his pocket and shot Alvarez twice.

Alvarez was shot at least two times, and apparently the first shot was in the back. Detectives were suspicious of the circumstances and began a thorough investigation. Witness accounts did not jive with the story told by Valdes. When detectives were finally able to interview the victim, who was still at the trauma center nearly two months later, he said that Valdes shot him in the back as he tried to leave the property, then fired on him again when he was down.

According to Alvarez’s account, he had come to Valdes’s house to buy drugs. He admits stealing money from the house, but says that Valdes confronted him with a gun inside the house and demanded he return the money. Alvarez said he returned it, then had to plead with Valdes to leave the house. Alvarez says he went directly to his bike and that Valdes came out after him and shot him in the back.

The investigation was a slow process for detectives, who worked closely with the State Attorney’s Office to ascertain whether the gunshot wounds corroborated Valdes’s account of the incident. After looking at all the evidence, a warrant was taken out for the arrest of Valdes and he was taken into custody.

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