Man Who Taped Deputy Heads to Miami Court
The Chino man who videotaped a controversial shooting by a San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy waived an extradition hearing Thursday and will be sent to Florida to face aggravated assault charges.
Jose Luis Valdes is scheduled to be arraigned today in Miami on the felony charges, which stem from an incident in 1998.
Valdes said outside Los Angeles County Superior Court that he was “totally happy” to be going back to Miami to deal with the matter. His attorney, Luis Carrillo, said he expects the 8-year-old case to be dismissed.
If convicted, Valdes would face up to 15 years in state prison.
On Jan. 29, Valdes videotaped a deputy opening fire on a U.S. Air Force security officer after a high-speed chase that ended in a crash in Valdes’ Chino neighborhood. The recording has been broadcast nationwide and has become a primary piece of evidence in the investigation, which involves the FBI.
Valdes, a used-car salesman who immigrated by boat to the United States from Cuba in 1993, was taken into custody Feb. 3 while visiting a federal immigration office in Pomona to replace his immigrant registration card. He had two outstanding warrants for aggravated assault in Florida. Valdes was released from Twin Towers Correctional Facility at 3:16 a.m. Wednesday after posting a bond of $30,000. He said Thursday he was flying to Miami in the afternoon.
Carrillo said he believed Valdes had been targeted by police because of the video recording.
Sheriff’s officials deny any involvement in Valdes’ arrest.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
