The man who authorities say walked into the Rancho Cucamonga company that had recently dismissed him and fired a shot was charged Tuesday, Nov. 14, with six counts of attempted murder.
Each count against Tony Valdez, 40, previously identified by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department by one of his nine aliases, Pascual Ortega, carried with it enhancements of using a firearm in the commission of a felony and having a prior felony conviction.
Valdez has convictions in Los Angeles County for grand-theft auto (two), burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, possession of methamphetamine and being a drug addict in possession of a firearm.
An agitated Valdez entered a training seminar at the Goodyear plant in the 9600 block of Feron Boulevard in Rancho Cucamonga on Friday, Sgt. Marc Bracco said, carrying a .22-caliber Ruger semi-automatic pistol. The 10-round magazine was fully loaded, said Deputy Jacob Bailey, a sheriff’s spokesman.
Valdez’s motive was under investigation, Bailey said.
The person leading the training, who works for an outside company, saw Valdez reach for his waistband. Thinking that Valdez was reaching for a gun, the trainer wrestled with him, Bracco said. Valdez then pulled out his gun and fired a single shot before the trainer took the gun away, Bracco said.
Valdez fled, Bracco said, and squirted the trainer in the face with pepper spray as he gave chase. Valdez was arrested Friday night at his brother’s home in Baldwin Park. Valdez was booked into West Valley Detention Center, where bail was set at $1 million.
The complaint filed in Superior Court in San Bernardino County listed six victims.
The trainer, identified only as a 40-year-old resident of Pico Rivera, declined to be interviewed for this story.