Trial underway for Yuma man accused of shooting another man
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - Opening statements began Wednesday in the trial of a Yuma man accused of shooting another man during a neighborhood confrontation on October 24th, 2024.
25-year-old Gabriel Taddei is facing two count of aggravated assault, including use of a deadly weapon, in connection to the shooting near County 12th Street and East 40th Place.
During opening statements, Taddei's defense acknowledged he approached the victim with a gun, but argued he acted in self-defense. Defense attorney, Joshua B. Tesoriero, claims Taddei had been run over during the encounter and feared for his life.
“It wasn’t just a random evening on October 24th, that Gabe decided he saw [name of victim] and he wanted to shoot him," Tesoriero said.
However, prosecutors pained a different picture. Saying the incident began when the victim drove to his girlfriend's home.
“The night of October 24th, 2024. [name of victim] drove over to his girlfriend’s house to check on his cats that were there," Cameron Curtis, Deputy County attorney, said. "And he didn’t even make it out of his car.”
The defense pushed back, arguing the shooting was not random and emphasized their claim of self-defense.
According to the state, Taddei approached the victim's vehicle and fired a shot through the windshield, striking him in the shoulder and fracturing his right arm. The victim, who was a 29-year-old man at the time of the shooting, was taken to Onvida Health and treated for the injuries he sustained during the shooting.
Prosecutors also described video evidence they say shows the moments leading up to the shooting, including the victim attempting to back away from the confrontation.
“You get a chance to see that. You can see [name of victim] car back up as he tries to get away," Curtis said. "You see the car door open, right. And you see that gunshot go right through the window of his car.”
Jury selection took place Tuesday, and there are six additional dates set.
KYMA will keep you updated as the trial progresses over the next several weeks.
