Judge sets no bail for man accused of murder near Lake Lawrence. Here’s what happened
A 50-year-old Thurston County man accused of murdering a Tacoma man is being held in the county jail without bail.
Alvaro Cruz-Ibarra attended his preliminary appearance in Thurston County Superior Court on Tuesday.
Deputies arrested Cruz-Ibarra Sunday morning at his Lake Lawrence area home and booked him into the county jail on suspicion of second-degree murder. His arrest stemmed from a death investigation that began after he called police to his home before 8 a.m. the same day.
Law enforcement allege Cruz-Ibarra shot and killed a guest at his home after accusing him of stealing his property. On Wednesday, Coroner Gary Warnock identified the guest as Jose Alcaraz-Caracoza, a 46-year-old man from Tacoma.
He died from a gunshot wound of the head and neck and his manner of death is homicide, Warnock said. Other significant conditions that contributed to his death included multiple sharp force injuries and a gunshot wound of the leg, he added.
During the Tuesday court hearing, Judge John Skinder ordered Cruz-Ibarra to be held without bail while the case against him is pending.
In doing so, Skinder said prosecutors showed there was “clear and convincing evidence” that Cruz-Ibarra has a “propensity for violence” and there would be a “substantial risk to individuals in our community.”
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Leanne Stogsdill asked Skinder to set no bail. She said Cruz-Ibarra staged a rifle, “falsely accused” Alcaraz-Caracoza of theft and prevented him from leaving the home.
“It appears that the defendant initiated a threat, held the victim against his will and then shot him as he was trying to protect himself from the defendant,” Stogsdill said.
The investigation
A probable cause statement describes the investigation into the Sunday morning incident from the perspective of law enforcement.
A deputy responded to a suspicious circumstance call before 8 a.m. Sunday at a home on the 17100 block of 153rd Ave. SE, which is south of Yelm and north of Lake Lawrence.
The caller, later identified as Cruz-Ibarra, had called 911 to report someone tried to steal his wallet and rifle and that person was still on scene, according to the statement.
Cruz-Ibarra reportedly told dispatch he helped this person after their vehicle broke down and he did not know his name. He went on to say he believed the person had taken his keys and wallet to a vehicle outside.
Cruz-Ibarra said he suspected another person was also involved, but the statement indicates he was never able to describe this person and deputies saw no sign of another person.
The deputy checked the vehicle parked outside and did not see anyone inside it. Cruz-Ibarra then stepped outside his home and allowed the deputy to enter.
Once inside, the deputy reportedly found a gravely injured man, later identified as Alcaraz-Caracoza, lying on his back in the kitchen. The statement indicates Alcaraz-Caracoza appeared to be dead with a large amount of blood on his face and the floor around him.
Deputies detained Cruz-Ibarra while they cleared the home and checked on Alcaraz-Caracoza. One of the deputies found a .22 caliber rifle with a broken stock sitting in the living room.
Several jars and other items in the kitchen appeared knocked over, suggesting there was some kind of struggle, according to the statement. A large knife sat on the counter and a spent shell casing for a .22 caliber rifle round laid in the doorway.
Cruz-Ibarra had a swollen lip, scratches on his chin and blood in his nose, the statement says. He also reportedly had blood splatter all over his black coat and metal-toed cowboy boots as well as blood in all his fingernail beds.
Detectives later interviewed Cruz-Ibarra at the Yelm Police Station. Cruz-Ibarra said he met Alcaraz-Caracoza the night before on 153rd Avenue.
Cruz-Ibarra claimed he helped Alcaraz-Caracoza move his stalled vehicle to a gas station on Vail Road Southeast. From there, Alcaraz-Caracoza told Cruz-Ibarra that he lost his car keys and had borrowed the stalled vehicle so he could retrieve his spare keys from home.
Cruz-Ibarra told detectives he drove Alcaraz-Caracoza to his home to get his keys and then the pair went to a wedding party that Alcaraz-Caracoza originally left from.
The two of them drank at the party and then traveled to Cruz-Ibarra’s home on 153rd Avenue, Cruz-Ibarra reportedly said. Neighborhood cameras showed Alcaraz-Caracoza’s vehicle entering the area just before 2 a.m. Sunday, according to the statement.
Alcaraz-Caracoza spent the night at Cruz-Ibarra’s home. The next morning, Cruz-Ibarra said he woke up and noticed that his jewelry, watch, wallet and keys were gone. He further alleged Alcaraz-Caracoza may have drugged him because he did not recall what happened.
Cruz-Ibarra grabbed a .22-caliber rifle from under his bed and placed it by the front door while he looked for his items. He said he saw Alcaraz-Caracoza place something in his vehicle and then confronted him inside the home.
Alcaraz-Caracoza tried to leave the home, but the statement indicates Cruz-Ibarra told him he couldn’t leave without returning his items.
Cruz-Ibarra alleged Alcaraz-Caracoza grabbed a small, yellow knife and slashed it at him. The two men allegedly wrestled over the knife and then Alcaraz-Caracoza grabbed a larger knife.
At that point, Cruz-Ibarra said he grabbed his rifle and they struggled over the weapon, causing it to break. During the struggle, Cruz-Ibarra allegedly fired one round into Alcaraz-Caracoza hip area and a second round into his chin and through his head.
Cruz-Ibarra allegedly told detectives he was disturbed that Alcaraz-Caracoza knew his name, which he claimed he could not have possibly known. He remained adamant that Alcaraz-Caracoza stole his jewelry, car keys and wallet, according to the statement.
Detectives searched Alcaraz-Caracoza’s vehicle for the items but did not find them. Cruz-Ibarra’s wallet was found inside his washing machine. His car keys and a gold necklace were found in a cupboard above the washing machine.
Cruz-Ibarra’s watch and rings were not found; however, detectives believe he misplaced the items in a drunken state.
Blood splatter patterns suggest Alcaraz-Caracoza was shot under the chin after he was already lying on the floor in the kitchen, according to the statement. Alcaraz-Caracoza’s face reportedly appeared badly beaten and he may have been dragged across the floor slightly, the statement says.
Cruz-Ibarra told deputies the gunshots were accidental, according to the statement, and he did not fist fight or beat Alcaraz-Caracoza. He also denied moving Alcaraz-Caracoza.
Law enforcement had previously visited Cruz-Ibarra’s home for multiple calls where he claimed seeing people under his home and inside his water heater. Based on that information, law enforcement alleged Cruz-Ibarra may be suffering from paranoia.
Detectives told Cruz-Ibarra he should have called 911 and allowed Alcaraz-Caracoza to leave if he believed Alcaraz-Caracoza had taken his items.
