By Natasha Pawar
SACRAMENTO, CA – Shane Smith—who allegedly got into a physical fight with his then-girlfriend early this year and threatened her friends, after which officers found a stash of firearms—was in Sacramento County Superior Court Thursday for six felonies related to domestic abuse and firearms.
The Sacramento Police Department received a call Jan. 2 from a concerned family member of a possible domestic violence case in the area. The person calling was concerned about “B. Doe,” who had previously shared with them a history of abuse in their current relationship.
When the police arrived the defendant fled the scene, but was detained for alleged charges of domestic abuse as well as possession of firearms.
The preliminary hearing, continuing from the day before, started with a recount from the officers, who helped Deputy District Attorney Aaron Miller piece together the firearm charge. Apparently, firearms were found in the house, as well as one hidden in a blanket near the defendant.
An AK 223 firearm was found tucked inside a blanket, allegedly hidden under a pile of leaves by Smith, said officers.
Defense counsel J. Virga questioned the officer testimony, asking officers if they ever actually saw the defendant with the firearm in his hands. The sergeant in charge said he only saw the defendant fleeing the scene, jumping over a fence and being caught, then they found the hidden weapon.
He stated that after being told to “show his hands,” Smith disappeared behind the fence for a couple of seconds, where the firearm was found, before coming back up.
The next witness called was Officer Hendrick Pretorius, who said he found three firearms, one a “9 mm round Glock” in the master bedroom, along with “50 federal 9 mm rounds” for the firearm stored in a Louis Vuitton box in the closet. Two other weapons were found inside the office.
The defense questioned this by asking about inferences the officer could make regarding who lived in the house/bedroom.
Officer Tyrel Russell testified he was able to give a timeline of the sequence of events, talking about his interactions with B. Doe. He mentioned that she was very restrained when sharing the facts of the altercation when he arrived at the house, until he told her Smith had been detained. Once this information was shared, she became a lot more “forthcoming.”
She believed she was “separating from the house to prevent further escalation,” from a verbal argument in front of her friends when he got physical with her. She told officers about another firearm in the residence as well, which she had hidden out of fear of Smith getting more violent with her.
Officer Russell’s inspection found that B. Doe had multiple scratch marks and abrasions on her fingers and palms as well as “darker marks” on her neck.
The last witness was Officer Alex Guevara, who was assigned to go to the medical center where B. Doe was taken, in an attempt to get a further statement. Guevara found that she had been released, but found her with her friend outside the facility.
Further questioning with the both of them found that B. Doe and her friends were sitting in one of the rooms in the house when Smith came in and a verbal argument began. This escalated, and when B. Doe and her friends tried to leave the room, he threatened to kill them.
Although her friends managed to eventually get out of the room, B. Doe did not, and Smith allegedly locked the door, “closed it, took her face and slammed her head against the wall.” He then asked her to give him his gun so he could “put a bullet through their heads.”
Officer Guevara learned that B. Doe had been threatened in the past and that Smith often took away her keys and cards so she couldn’t leave when this happened. She further stated that once B. Doe had finally escaped, she said she came down to her friends but Smith caught her again and she had to use a clothing rack to defend herself and escape.
The defendant was visibly uncomfortable throughout this hearing and spoke with his attorney multiple times throughout the testimonies during the duration of the preliminary hearing.
The judge said there was enough evidence to show Smith likely committed the offenses and said a trial will be scheduled following an arraignment set for Aug. 4.
