Defendant Killed Guard, Eyewitness Tells Court : Crime: The Home Depot employee says he was standing five feet away when Sean Darnell Slade shot the victim during a robbery.

Wrapping up their case, prosecutors called the only eyewitness who could identify prison parolee Sean Darnell Slade as the man who killed an armored car guard during a robbery of a Home Depot store.

The Home Depot employee testified that Slade, 27, ran up behind Edwin (Eddie) Maldonado during a July 20, 1992, robbery that netted $82,000 and fired one shot from a 9-millimeter handgun without any warning.

“I am sure that’s the man,” the witness testified during Slade’s special-circumstance murder trial.

The witness, now 27, said he was standing only five feet away when the gunman fired.

Maldonado, 26, had emptied the vault at the Foothill Boulevard store and was taking a bag of cash and checks to his Sectran Security Transportation truck when he was gunned down. Maldonado apparently heard the gunman approaching, but he had only started to turn his head when he was shot, according to the testimony.

Other witnesses have testified that the robber fired two more shots into Maldonado’s head while he was lying on the ground.

Prosecutors urged reporters not to publish the name of the witness, citing possible reprisal from others involved in the robbery who remain at large.

During an earlier court hearing, the man testified after donning a hat and a partial disguise.

In a lengthy cross-examination, defense attorney Bruce Hill repeatedly questioned the witness about his initial description of the gunman. The witness first told police the robber was 5 foot 9 at the most. Slade stands 6 foot 2.

While acknowledging that he gave the description and that he told police a photo of Slade only looked similar to the gunman, the witness repeatedly identified Slade as the killer Wednesday.

“I haven’t forgotten it (his face) since I first saw it,” the man said. “It’s stayed with me.”

If convicted, Slade would face the death penalty.