"No one was coming to help, I was screaming on top of my lungs and she was dying"; brought to court in chains, Bachus testifies about Tully and Hammers being shot

Detective Greg Musson finished testifying in the JAson Arreaga case this morning and Detective Todd Fulton briefly took the stand. Mr. Kaleb Cockrum from Conflict Counsel sat in court as his attorney.

Mr. Cockrum had come in with some paperwork during court before the morning break and spoke with Ms. Heidi Holmquist and then along with Deputy District Attorney Zack Curtis they privately chatted with Judge Miles.

Judge Miles said court will take a longer recess. After the break, Jerry Bachus who was arrested yesterday took the stand.

I reported on this development this morning.

http://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2015/10/arrest-warrant-out-for-key-witness-in.html
http://johnchiv.blogspot.com/2015/10/hcso-works-fast-bachus-in-custody.html


Bachus is the third witness to testify and point towards Arreaga as the shooter, however just like Carly Michaels, Arreaga's ex and Shavonne Hammers, ex of one of the victims Harley Hammers, no one actually saw Arreaga shoot Hammers or Angel Tully. Bachus went back and forth about whether he saw Arreaga actually shoot Tully.

Rodney Coombes said he saw a man with a gun and IDed Arreaga as that man.

Shavonne Hammers, Carly Michaels and Jerry Bachus, all were given immunity by the DA's office for their testimony.

Michaels has been the only credible witness so far. With others, Ms. Holmquist has been able to raise questions about their testimony and doubts about their credibility. Will it be enough for reasonable doubt given that People's witnesses point to Arreaga as the shooter.

Bachus's testimony was all over the place about what he saw even when he was being questioned by Mr. Curtis. Ms. Holmquist during cross got him to admit to using meth since he was 12. He said he "now smokes weed and drinks" since he quit using meth in June 2015.

Compared to the photos shown in court, Bachus now has a shaved head. Dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit with his cuffs and chains removed for testimony, he said once the Gold buick driven by Arreaga left the scene, he ran back across the street to give Tully CPR.

Bachus also described pulling into Angie Ellers driveway, parking and talking to Harley Hammers and diving on the ground as shots flew in the air. He also said when Harley Hammers and Tully pulled up, they got out of the car and Tully banged on the trailer asking for Shavonne Hammers to come out. This corroborates a part of Michael's testimony. He also said that a car pulled into the driveway and Michaels had testified that she told Shavonne that a car pulled up and "those people are back."

Bachus said Tully was a "lifelong friend and they went to school together." He said he knew Harley Hammers "because he was married to Shavonne."

Mr. Curtis started his direct examination of Bachus by asking him, "When was the last time you saw Shavonne Hammers?"

Bachus, "About a year ago. I saw her at the casino, then I seen her at Safeway. She was getting a bottle of Fireball."

He did not know Michaels name but described her as a thin, young lady with brown curly hair.

Bachus said that Shavonne Hammers told him she was going to Ellers' house. He was supposed to be going to Blue Lake Casino but he had not seen Shavonne Hammers "for a while." so he went to Ellers house.

He said he pulled into the driveway and described a gold car parked near a trailer. He said Ellers was there briefly then left. "Shavonne and the young lady went into the trailer. A car comes pulling into the driveway. Ms. Tully gets out of the car. She banged on the trailer for Shavonne to come outside. Mr. Hammers exited on the other side and started looking around."

Bachus said that Harley Hammers asked him, "You know the guy with the gold car. The mother fucker shot at my feet." Then Bachus said that he dove down as a "bullet whizzed past his head."

Mr. Curtis showed Bachus a photo. "Yeah, yeah that's where I was standing," said Bachus. He then jumped up to show where in the photo (on the bulletin board behind him) and the additional bailiff standing next to him said, "Sit down!"

He then took a laser pointer handed to him by Mr. Curtis and showed where he was standing and where Harley Hammers was standing. "Next thing I know Arreaga came up and started shooting." Bachus then pointed to his head. "I'm down behind my car thinking, is this really going on? Arreaga goes pop, pop, pop."

Then Bachus mumbled something and was all over the place from down on the ground to across the street to check on Harley Hammers. He said, he saw " a car, the gold buick pulling out and Shavonne yelling, help Angel."

Then asked a question by Mr. Curtis, Bachus said his hearing was bad and he could not hear anything.

Mr. Curtis: "Did you see Mr. Arreaga take out a gun?"

Bachus: "I didn't see him take out a gun. I was standing with my back to him. I heard bam, bam, bam, only 1 gun."

Earlier, he did not say anything about seeing Tully being shot, at this point in his testimony, Bachus said he did see Tully being shot, "one time in the middle of the chest." Then he said he ran across the street to give her CPR. "I administered CPR on her but she wasn't responding," said Bachus. "No one was coming to help. I was screaming on top of my lungs and she was dying."

Bachus said that law enforcement arrived 15 to 20 minutes after the shooting. He said, "I think her (Shavonne) and the young lady went into the trailer" when asked a question by Mr. Curtis.

Mr. Curtis: How do you know Jason Arreaga?"

Bachus: "From papers. I don't know him at all. He was on the front page of the newspaper."

Bachus then IDed Arreaga in the courtroom.

"You are dressed in orange which means you are in custody," is how Ms. Holmquist started her cross examination.

Bachus said yes.

"You were subpoenaed Monday, showed up on Monday and some point left?" asked Ms. Holmquist.

"I didn't feel good," responded Bachus.

"Were you on meth?" asked Ms. Holmquist.

"No, I just didn't feel good," said Bachus.

Ms. Holmquist asked if he spoke to a DA Investigator in the last two days and Bachus said he did. He also confirmed in court he was arrested yesterday.

Ms. Holmquist asked him, "Do you remember saying on Monday that you do not remember anything?"

"Yeah," said Bachus.

"But you remember things today?" said Ms. Holmquist.

"Yeah," said Bachus.

Ms. Holmquist asked him if he signed an immunity agreement with the DA's office and he said he did.

"The only way you can get out of custody is to testify?" asked Ms. Holmquist.

"Yeah," said Bachus.

Asked about whether he uses meth, Bachus said that he did but quit in June this year and that he "now smokes weed and drinks." He had been using meth since he was 12, he is now 39 years old.
He said he just quit using meth without any treatment program.

Ms. Holmquist brought up his lengthy criminal record. This June he plead to a misdemeanor for meth. Starting from 2002 to 2015, Ms. Holmquist read specific dates and crimes he was convicted for from felony grand theft to stolen property to driving a stolen car.