A Washington State man was arrested and charged earlier this week after allegedly shooting and killing a plumber he hired.
Jacques Dothard, 55, stands accused of one count of murder in the first degree, one count of tampering with evidence, and five counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, according to jail records.
At around 8 p.m. on the night of May 23, 2022, South Sound 911 received a report of shots fired at a residence in Spanaway, Wash., a census-designated place some 30 miles east of Olympia, Wash.
According to Seattle NBC affiliate KING, the 911 caller reported that they could see a body in the truck that was in front of the house.
Pierce County Sheriff’s Department (PCSD) detectives allegedly saw Dothard sitting in the truck’s driver’s seat as they arrived. The defendant then allegedly went inside before later surrendering to law enforcement.
Inside the truck was 40-year-old Tom Lorezca, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
In comments to the TV station, the deceased man’s siblings said he was “humble” and the “definition of an older brother.” They added that when it came to his work, it spoke for itself and that he was dedicated to doing the job. His brothers declined to appear on camera so soon after the tragic loss of the man who was always there for them.
Lorezca was also remembered as a man who loved dogs and loved to drive.
Investigators believe the violence unfolded after Dothard ran over a drainpipe and called Lorezca to help him fix it. Once the plumber arrived, he was confronted by the defendant before he could even get out of his truck; Dothard immediately accused Lorezca of hitting his gate and proceeded to open fire, according to the PCSD.
Charging documents obtained by KING cite surveillance footage that allegedly shows Dothard walking up to the driver’s side of the victim’s truck and then firing seven shots at Lorezca.
Following the shooting, the defendant allegedly took what law enforcement described as a a “bag of guns” to a neighbor’s home and asked him to keep them for awhile. Deputies say they later found six guns at that neighbor’s home, including multiple empty magazines, loaded magazines of various calibers, gun cases, and a “military style” vest with Dothard’s name duct-taped to it.
The defendant appeared for an initial court appearance and pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. Dothard reportedly told the judge that he is on VA disability and that he is considered 100% disabled. He is being detained on $1.5 million bond.
Those court documents say that PCSD previously failed to respond to a welfare check request in late March of this year. Dothard is believed to have called the Veteran’s Crisis Line about a dispute with his son wherein the defendant threatened to hill him.
In response to questions about their non-response earlier this year, the PCSD told KING journalist Kristin Goodwillie that they had no indication Dothard’s son was with him or that he was in any danger and because of his “history with law enforcement,” they decided against making contact in order to “de-escalate the situation.”
[image via screengrab/KING]