A shooting suspect made a brief appearance before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland on Nov. 2 to schedule next steps in a case that started as a fight and led to a shooting charge.
According to court documents, Jerson Guardado, 21, and another Hispanic man passed by a witness and several of his friends on the 3400 block of Leverton Avenue on July 14.The observer reportedly saw one of the Hispanics take out a black handgun and fire a shot in their direction, and then run away down a nearby alley. .
In response, a Baltimore Police Department Officer (BPD), searched a nearby alley where he reportedly encountered Guardado, also referred to as Padilla. According to the officer, Guardado was in distress with cuts on the front and back of his head and he appeared to be drunk.
About thirty minutes prior to the incident, a grocery store owner in the neighborhood told police he saw two unidentified men fighting in front of the establishment. Based on surveillance footage from the store, Guardado was allegedly identified as one of the combatants and was reportedly his friend. They appeared to be struggling over a satchel police thought likely contained a handgun.
During an interview with police, the victim who had initially refused to relinquish the satchel, identified Guardado as the person who allegedly fired a shot in his direction. After Guardado was arrested, he claimed that he gave the satchel with the gun to his friend because Guardado was intoxicated. Ultimately, according to the police narrative, Guardado got the satchel with the firearm back but couldn’t account for what happened next.
During Guardado’s court appearance, the prosecutor made a plea offer based on his indictment for first-degree assault for 25 years, suspending all but 10 years, and two years probation. For counts two, and three firearm use in a felony violent crime, 10 years consecutive for each and a stay-away order from the victim. Other weapons related would be dropped.The aggregate offer was 45 years, suspending all but 15 years, the first 10 years without the possibility of parole.
On behalf of Guardado, stand-in defense attorney Reginald Jordan rejected the offer.
Judge Copeland then set Guardado’s trial date for Feb. 8, 2027, well within Hicks’ speedy trial deadline of 180 days from the defendant or his attorney’s first court appearance.
