A 20-year-old Indian Hills man who claimed two men in a car fired at him, wounding his leg, has been charged with filing a false report after allegedly admitting he accidentally shot himself when he dropped a stolen 9-mm revolver.
Pedro Martinez-Meza appeared on crutches in East Fork Justice Court on Friday. He also is charged with obstructing a public officer and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Deputies were contacted Aug. 7 by an emergency room physician after Martinez-Meza showed up for treatment of a gunshot wound to the leg.
He said he was shot at and wounded while walking to a party at his sister's home in Indian Hills. He said a car drove by and two men shot at him.
According to reports, Martinez-Meza is a validated gang member of Locos Mafiaso Clique and the East Wood Tokers.
His story began to unravel when a doctor who examined the wounds to his right leg said they were self-inflicted.
"I don't even own a gun. I couldn't, wouldn't shoot myself," Martinez-Meza reportedly told deputies.
Finally, he reportedly admitted that the gun was in the waistband of his pants and as he was walking to his sister's, the weapon slipped. When he grabbed it, the gun discharged.
First, Martinez-Meza said he threw the gun in the bushes, then changed his story to a Dumpster.
When deputies were unable to find the weapon, Martinez-Meza said he gave it to someone in Reno. He admitted purchasing a stolen weapon.
Deputies found a bullet-proof vest at Martinez-Meza's apartment along with a scale, pipe and plastic bags.
He was arrested Wednesday on a warrant and is in custody in Douglas County Jail.
Senior East Fork Justice Steven McMorris appointed lawyer Kris Brown to represent Martinez-Meza. His next court appearance is Sept. 22.
His bail was set at $5,000 cash for the three misdemeanor offenses.
If he bails out, McMorris ordered Martinez-Meza to have no contact with gang members or possess any weapons.
"That's down to a pocket knife," McMorris said.
If released, he will be under the supervision of the Department of Alternative Sentencing and subject to random search and seizure for alcohol and drugs.
