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Police identify 18-year-old suspect in triple shooting at Catonsville motel

Police identify 18-year-old suspect in triple shooting at Catonsville motel
COULDN’T STOP SHOOTING AT THE VICTIMS. DURING A COURT HEARING, PROSECUTORS CALLED 18 YEAR OLD JOSE DIAZ CONTRERAS AN INCREDIBLE RISK TO PUBLIC SAFETY. HE WILL REMAIN IN JAIL. A JUDGE RULED HIM A DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY, A THREAT AND A FLIGHT RISK AS SHE DENIED BAIL. HIS APPEARANCE IN A TOWSON DISTRICT COURTROOM COMES A DAY AFTER POLICE ARRESTED HIM IN CONNECTION TO A DEADLY TRIPLE SHOOTING. IT HAPPENED AROUND THREE MONDAY MORNING AT THE MOTEL SIX WHEN BALTIMORE NATIONAL PIKE IN CATONSVILLE. A WITNESS WHO DECLINED TO SPEAK ON CAMERA TOLD 11 NEWS HE HEARD ABOUT FIVE GUNSHOTS. HE CAME OUT OF HIS ROOM AND SAW TWO MEN ON THE FLOOR, TWO VICTIMS, AGES 19 AND 25, WERE TAKEN TO HOSPITAL. BUT A THIRD VICTIM, 30 YEAR OLD JAVIER GUAITA, DIED AT THE SCENE, ACCORDING TO A COURT CHARGING DOCUMENT. OFFICERS FOUND DIAZ CONTRERAS WALKING AROUND THE PARKING LOT OF THE MOTEL AS PART OF THE INVESTIGATION, DETECTIVES OBTAINED SURVEILLANCE VIDEO OF THE SHOOTING, WHICH SHOWS A SUSPECT PULLING A BLACK AND SILVER HANDGUN FROM UNDER HIS JACKET AND FIRING SEVERAL ROUNDS AT THE VICTIMS. POLICE CHARGED DIAZ CONTRERAS WITH FIRST DEGREE MURDER AND TWO COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED FIRST DEGREE MURDER. THE COURT CHARGING DOCUMENT LISTS HIS HOME ADDRESS IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, BUT IN COURT, WE LEARNED HE HAD MOVED BACK TO MARYLAND. HE APPARENTLY AGREED TO TALK TO POLICE. THE COURTRILLIONECORDS INDICATES THE DEFENDANT ADMITTED TO HAVING A FIREARM AND BEING IN AN ARGUMENT WITH THE VICTIMS AND THAT HE KILLED ONE MAN AND SHOT TWO OTHERS. ALSO, THE DEFENDANT STATED THAT HE COULD NOT STOP AND KEPT SHOOTING AT THE VICTIMS. DIAZ CONTRERAS IS SET FOR ANOTHER COURT DATE. THAT IS A PRELIMINARY HEARING SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 23RD. REPORTING FR
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Police identify 18-year-old suspect in triple shooting at Catonsville motel
Baltimore County police arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with Monday's triple shooting at a Catonsville motel that left a man dead.County police on Tuesday identified the suspect as Jose Diaz-Contrenas.Police said officers were called early Monday to the Motel 6 in Catonsville, where they found three shooting victims."At 3 a.m., our officers responded to the 5800 block of Baltimore National Pike for a reported shooting," Baltimore County police Sgt. Gladys Brown told 11 News on Monday. "We have a suspect in custody in reference to that incident."Javier Argueta, 30, died at the scene, and paramedics took two other men, 19 and 25, to hospitals with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Diaz-Contrenas was charged with first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, police said on Tuesday.Based on the investigation, police said this was an isolated incident. Diaz-Contrenas remains held at the Baltimore County Detention Center without bond.Some motel guests told 11 News they had just fallen asleep when they heard gunshots. One man told 11 News he woke up to what sounded like five shots. He said he left his room to see what happened and saw two men on the hallway floor. He said what he saw startled him.According to charging documents, officers found Dias-Contrenas walking around the parking lot of the motel. Surveillance video obtained by officers shows a suspect pulling a handgun from under his jacket and firing several rounds at the victims.Court records also indicate that he admitted to the shooting, and stated that "he could not stop" and kept shooting at the victims.Investigators did not immediately release information on what may have led to the gunfire, saying that is part of the investigation."Right now, our officers are working hard to piece the events together to understand why this incident occurred," Brown said.Diaz-Contrenas is scheduled to return to court for a hearing on June 23. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 410-307-2020 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7LOCKUP.A Motel 6 representative sent a statement to 11 News, saying: "Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the victims, and we are doing everything we can to assist law enforcement with their investigation. There is nothing more important to us than the safety of our guests, hotel employees and the communities in which we operate, which is why we have invested hundreds of millions across all aspects of the business, including a wide variety of safety programs, over the past decade."

Baltimore County police arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with Monday's triple shooting at a Catonsville motel that left a man dead.

County police on Tuesday identified the suspect as Jose Diaz-Contrenas.

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Police said officers were called early Monday to the Motel 6 in Catonsville, where they found three shooting victims.

"At 3 a.m., our officers responded to the 5800 block of Baltimore National Pike for a reported shooting," Baltimore County police Sgt. Gladys Brown told 11 News on Monday. "We have a suspect in custody in reference to that incident."

Javier Argueta, 30, died at the scene, and paramedics took two other men, 19 and 25, to hospitals with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Diaz-Contrenas was charged with first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, police said on Tuesday.

Based on the investigation, police said this was an isolated incident. Diaz-Contrenas remains held at the Baltimore County Detention Center without bond.

Some motel guests told 11 News they had just fallen asleep when they heard gunshots. One man told 11 News he woke up to what sounded like five shots. He said he left his room to see what happened and saw two men on the hallway floor. He said what he saw startled him.

According to charging documents, officers found Dias-Contrenas walking around the parking lot of the motel. Surveillance video obtained by officers shows a suspect pulling a handgun from under his jacket and firing several rounds at the victims.

Court records also indicate that he admitted to the shooting, and stated that "he could not stop" and kept shooting at the victims.

Investigators did not immediately release information on what may have led to the gunfire, saying that is part of the investigation.

"Right now, our officers are working hard to piece the events together to understand why this incident occurred," Brown said.

Diaz-Contrenas is scheduled to return to court for a hearing on June 23.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 410-307-2020 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 866-7LOCKUP.

A Motel 6 representative sent a statement to 11 News, saying: "Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the victims, and we are doing everything we can to assist law enforcement with their investigation. There is nothing more important to us than the safety of our guests, hotel employees and the communities in which we operate, which is why we have invested hundreds of millions across all aspects of the business, including a wide variety of safety programs, over the past decade."

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