Hearing postponed in shooting of girl, 16

Kim Smith

Friday, Nov. 30, 2001 | 9:01 a.m.

The preliminary hearing for a 16-year-old boy accused of shooting a teenage girl in the face has been delayed so that a judge can hear evidence against his co-defendant at the same time.

Eriberto Leon was scheduled to appear before Las Vegas Justice of the Peace James Bixler Thursday, but Chief Deputy District Attorney Abby Silver learned his co-defendant arrived from California late Wednesday evening.

Leon and Pablo Guerrero, 23, will now face a preliminary hearing Dec. 17.

Guerrero is accused of kidnapping his wife, Brenda Guerrero, and ordering Leon to shoot Brenda Guerrero's 17-year-old sister, Sonia Gallardo, on Nov. 6.

Guerrero fled in a van with his wife and was caught after the California Highway Patrol spotted him on Interstate 15 near Victorville. He was eventually taken into custody after Brenda Guerrero grabbed his gun and threw it out a window of the vehicle.

Leon fled in another car and was later arrested Nov. 6 in Las Vegas.

Brenda Guerrero told the Sun two days after her daylong ordeal that when her husband came to her parents' house -- where she had been staying since they separated six months ago -- he started waving a copy of her cellular phone bill, demanding to know to whom she had been talking.

"He was always very jealous," she said. "He hit me in the face. I ran to the phone, but he grabbed the phone and broke it. He said he had a surprise for me at 10 o'clock."

According to police reports, Leon arrived at that time, knowing that Guerrero was going to snatch his wife.

Leon told police he was "told by Pablo to go upstairs and shoot Sonia. That he went upstairs and Sonia tried to hit him and the gun went off," according to a Metro Police report.

Sonia Gallardo disputed that the shooting was an accident, telling police a blue blanket was held over her face and "she heard a pop and felt the pain on her nose," according to the report.

She had been shot in the bridge of the nose. She jumped out of the window and went next door, where a neighbor called police. Gallardo was taken to University Medical Center, where she was treated for several days and released.

Leon fled the house in a car as Guerrero took his wife in the van.

Guerrero will make his initial court appearance Monday before Bixler.