Waterbury police have arrested a suspect in the murder of one man and the shooting of another outside of a liquor store at 309 Walnut Street in Waterbury on Tuesday evening.
Police said they found the suspect, Alejandro Hernandez, 24, of Waterbury, hiding out a hotel in Southington. He appeared in court on Wednesday and the judge raised his bond from $1 million to $2 million.
According to police, a witness to the shooting told authorities he had purchased marijuana from Hernandez and gave police his phone number.
Police used Hernandez's cellphone to track him down at the Inn Express in Southington.
Hernandez is accused of shooting two men while they were walking out of a liquor store on Walnut Street Tuesday evening.
Deleone Smith, 25, of Waterbury, was shot in the chest and taken to St. Mary's Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later, police said.
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Joseph Moore, 31, was shot in the cheek and sustained non-life threatening injuries, according to police. He was transferred to Hartford Hospital and has been released.
Hernandez has been charged with murder, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal use of a firearm, carrying a firearm without a permit and unlawful discharge of a firearm.
Police said Hernandez shot Smith at least three times, then pistol whipped and kicked the victim while he was lying in the street.
Hernandez was held on $1 million bond and appeared in Waterbury Superior Court this morning, where his attorney said Hernandez was just trying to protect himself.
"There is strong evidence to believe that this is a good claime for self defense based on several eyewitnesses' statements," said attorney Jerry Attanasio. "The gun was jammed in his throat, and this was on video."
Attanasio said Smith and Moore had both pulled guns on Hernandez before the tables were turned.
Hernandez has past drug arrests and convictions and had an ongoing dispute with Smith, according to police.
The shooting happened a block away from the scene of a shooting in August that left a 49-year-old man dead and just across the street from a community learning center that hosts after-school programs for local children.
