TACOMA, WA – Today the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office charged David Gallegos, 30, with murder in the second degree for the stabbing death of Danny Guerin, 36. Gallegos stabbed Guerin multiple times for no apparent reason as Guerin sat in his car in a Lakewood park.
“Citizens solved this murder mystery,” said Prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “Kudos for those who came forward for the good of our community”
On August 27, 2015, at approximately 10:44 p.m., officers responded to a parking lot next to the Seeley Lake Park in Lakewood for a possible homicide. A civilian had called 911 to report that he had been driving through the lot when he came upon a male lying on the ground who appeared to have been stabbed and killed. Officers found the victim, later identified as Danny Guerin, on the ground next to his truck.
An extensive investigation produced no real leads and the case went cold. No one with a motive to kill Guerin was identified.
Early this month, an individual, B., contacted law enforcement to report that his friend, Gallegos, had confessed to committing the murder. B. and a second friend of the defendant, S., were interviewed by detectives. S. reported that he had been driving with the defendant when Gallegos suddenly stated that he wanted to tell S. something he had never told anyone. Gallegos stated that he had done “some bad stuff at the Seeley Park” about two years earlier. He explained that he was sitting in some bushes on a bad high when he saw a car pull into the lot. He was hearing voices in his head and thought the driver was following him so he ran up on the driver and began stabbing him. He said the driver had no chance.
On Tuesday, S., agreed to work with police and record a conversation with Gallegos. Gallegos admitted his role in the stabbing and was arrested yesterday.
If convicted Gallegos faces nearly 25 years in prison.
Bail is set at $1,000,000.00.
Charges are only allegations and a person is presumed innocent unless he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
For more information, please contact James Lynch at (253) 798-6265, [email protected].