Pair held to answer in market shooting case

A preliminary hearing was held Monday for the two East Palo Alto residents.

Longino shot and wounded a 20-year-old man outside La Hacienda Market on North Amphlett Boulevard in a marijuana deal gone wrong, according to prosecutors.

Longino and Juarez were in a green Jeep Cherokee spotted along University and Purdue avenues about an hour after the shooting, according to testimony at Monday’s preliminary hearing.

The Jeep Cherokee, after an officer turned on his red lights, pulled over for about five seconds and then sped off eastbound on the Dumbarton Bridge, according to courtroom testimony.

The Cherokee went at speeds up to 100 mph on the bridge, according to an officer’s testimony.

A woman, later identified by law enforcement as Juarez, later exited the vehicle while it was still moving. The Cherokee continued and later ran a red light, almost causing a collision, according to testimony Monday.

Longino and Juarez were apprehended in Fremont. Officers found her with a black duffel bag that had marijuana and a handgun inside, prosecutors said.

The shooting victim was treated at Stanford Hospital for the gunshot and released with the bullet still in his leg, according to prosecutors.

He testified Monday that he planned to sell one-quarter pound of marijuana for $375 in a transaction that began on the social media site Snapchat.

The shooting victim said he was in his blue BMW when Longino pulled out a pistol from his pants, reached for a plastic bag with marijuana and cocked the gun.

“I thought it was over for me,” he said.

Longino grabbed the bag, told him not to follow and closed the car door, the man said in court. The shooting victim said he accelerated his car and accidentally struck Longino, who fired two shots at the BMW. The 20-year-old man acknowledged giving different versions of events to investigating officers.

“I was scared,” the man said in court.

He first told the police he’d had an argument with a pedestrian who pulled out a weapon and shot at the BMW.

ryan@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 106