Man shot by homeowner was facing charges
Address:http://gr.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20011128g2shootin105805.frm
Man shot by homeowner was facing charges
Wednesday, November 28, 2001
By Doug Guthrie
The Grand Rapids Press
CEDAR SPRINGS — An alleged intruder shot to death Saturday by a Cedar
Springs homeowner was scheduled for trial this week on a host of felony
charges — including home invasion — stemming from a July incident.
Kevin Lee Salinas, 22, suffered a fatal bullet wound to the abdomen
about 3:30 a.m. Saturday after being ordered off the back porch of a
home owned by Robert J. Clarke, 48.
Salinas died about eight hours later at Spectrum Health Butterworth in
Grand Rapids.
The homeowner told police that Salinas took at least one step toward
him, after disregarding the warning to leave, before the shot was fired,
according to Cedar Springs police.
Kent County Prosecutor William Forsyth had not announced a decision
Tuesday about whether Clarke’s action was justified. Forsyth likely will
issue an opinion by the end of this week or early next week.
Salinas was due to appear Monday before Kent County Circuit Judge Donald
Johnston to stand trial for a July incident where he is alleged to have
assaulted an ex-girlfriend after breaking into her home, then knocked
down a neighbor’s porch trying to chase the woman and the neighbor with
his car.
Kent County sheriff’s deputies said they chased Salinas’ car for two
miles before he fled on foot. Deputies said Salinas then climbed a tree
and refused to come down.
Salinas eventually was arrested, and although he refused to take a
portable blood-alcohol test, a later test showed his level was higher
than the limit set for driving, according to court records.
Salinas was charged with home invasion, malicious destruction of
property, felonious assault, fleeing and eluding a police officer,
resisting and opposing a police officer and drunken driving. He faced up
to 20 years in prison if convicted.
Cedar Springs Police Chief Roger Gren said Tuesday that his
investigators have concentrated solely on Saturday’s incident and were
unaware of the pending charges against Salinas.
“That would have nothing to do with our case, but it might explain why
he ran,” Gren said. “It might say something about his behavior or his
state of mind.”
Salinas and a friend ran when a Cedar Springs patrol officer spotted
them hitchhiking. Their car reportedly had broken down.
The friend was caught and arrested on an outstanding bench warrant, but
Salinas got away. If he had been drinking, as police suspect, Salinas
might also have been arrested for violating his probation for a
conviction on a May larceny charge.
Records also show he was wanted on a bench warrant issued by Rockford
District Judge Steven Servaas for an alleged domestic assault in April.
Clarke said he was awakened a short time later by what he thought was
the sound of someone trying to enter the doors and windows of his house
at 153 W. Pine St. Clarke allegedly took his registered 9 mm handgun to
confront Salinas and order him off the property before firing the fatal
shot.
State law permits the use of deadly force when life is threatened or in
cases of home invasion.
Gren said investigators still are waiting for a toxicology report on
blood taken from Salinas during an autopsy.
The report is expected to tell if Salinas was intoxicated at the time of
his death. He reportedly had been drinking prior to Saturday’s incident.
Services for Salinas were to be held at 1 p.m. today at Cedar Springs
Free Methodist Church. Burial was to follow at Solon Township Cemetery.
Salinas is survived by a 3-year-old son, Kayleb Lee Salinas; his mother,
Janet Carpentier, of Cedar Springs; and his father Rogelio “Roy” Salinas
of Grand Rapids.
Copyright 2001 Michigan Live Inc.
