This article was originally published in The Examiner on Nov. 30, 2017.
By Eleanor Skelton
Staff Writer
A landlord is accused of shooting his tenant who complained about not having water in his rental property Monday night.
Galveston County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call about a single gunshot near 33rd Street and Avenue E in Galveston about 11 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, Sheriff Henry Trochesset said in a news release.
When the deputy arrived at the scene, he did not see anyone but heard noises coming from the back of the property. Later, the deputy found a man, Phillips Shepeard, 62, who is the property owner and landlord, Trochesset said.
The deputy asked Shepeard if he knew about a disturbance at that address. After the deputy asked Shepeard the third time, he told the deputy that Ernesto Maldonado, 54, walked over to his house and “was mad about not having running water to his house.”
Shepeard also told the deputy that Maldonado lunged at him and tried to hit him and they both fell on the ground, then Maldonado left and went back to his house, which is located on the front part of the property.
The deputy walked over to Maldonado’s house and found a woman screaming that the landlord killed her husband, Trochesset said.
When the deputy came inside the house, he found Maldonado slumped over on the floor, covered in blood, from a single gunshot wound to his left shoulder.
Maldonado told the deputy that Shepeard shot him after he confronted him about his house not having running water. He confirmed that he rents his house from Shepeard.
Investigators contacted the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office, who recommended a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and a bond of $150,000.
Shepeard was arrested and taken to the Galveston County Jail.
Maldonado’s medical condition is unknown at this time, Trochesset said.
Eleanor Skelton 