Mark Bowes, Lyndon German
A “concerned citizen” who notified Richmond police of a potential mass shooting in Dogwood Dell on Monday told investigators that one of the men in custody showed him two rifles, a red dot sight and “a longer gun with a higher caliber” with a stand June 21, according to a court affidavit filed Thursday.
The informant identified Rolman “Chapin” Balcarcel Ack, 38, as the person planning the shooting and told police that “Chapin” had ties to a gang called Los Zetas, Richmond Detective Michael Kiniry wrote in an affidavit used to obtain on a search warrant at 3112 Columbia St. in Richmond.
Balcarcel Ac
Kiniry noted in the affidavit that “Zetas” is a reference to the gang’s affiliate that operates in Mexico and the United States. The affidavit does not mention that the informant informed police that Dogwood Dell was where the mass shooting would take place.
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During a news conference Wednesday, Richmond police described the informant as a “hero citizen” who helped authorities foil the Dogwood Dell shooting. An officer from the 2nd Precinct received the call, police said.
The announcement by Richmond police came two days after seven people were shot and killed during an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois, north of Chicago.
Richmond police contacted the U.S. Department of Homeland Security about the informant’s information about the Zetas cartel, and their investigation led to the home on Columbia Street, authorities said.
Officers conducted a “knock and talk” at the address on July 1 and another man, Julio Alvarado-Dubon, 52, came to the door, police said. The officers then asked Alvarado-Dubon if they could go inside to speak with him, and he allowed them inside, according to the affidavit.
Alvarado-Dubon
There was a loud party with a DJ outside, which made it difficult to hear, police said. Once inside, officers observed two Glock magazines and a shotgun shell in the living room, the affidavit said. At that point, a second man appeared and provided police with a Colorado ID in the name Rolman A. Balcarcel Ac. He also possessed two driver’s licenses from Colorado and ID cards from Guatemala and Mexico, police said.
Alvarado-Dubon then gave police permission to search the residence, but was not present during the search, police said. Officers found two AR-15 semi-automatic rifles, a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
Richmond police filed a search warrant at the John Marshal Courts building Thursday, which includes this affidavit detailing the initial “knock and talk” at 3112 Columbia Street on July 1. The civil servant also revealed what police learned from a “concerned citizen” who alerted them to the mass shooting planned for July 4.
Alvarado-Dubon lived at the Columbia Street home with his grown son, 20, the affidavit said, and police said at a news conference Wednesday that Balcarcel Ac was his roommate.
After further investigation, a Homeland Security agent notified Richmond police that both Alvarado-Dubon and Balcarcel Atz were in the United States illegally.
On Thursday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement that Balcarcel Ace was deported twice from the U.S. to Guatemala — first in October 2013 and then in August 2014. An immigration spokesman said Balcarcel’s full name is Rolman Balcarcel Ace, which is slightly different from the name provided Wednesday by Richmond police.
Immigration officials also said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Washington placed immigration holds on both men on Wednesday. Alvarado-Dubon is in custody at the Richmond City Justice Center and Balcarcel Ace is being held at the Albemarle County Jail. Both are charged with possession of a firearm by a non-US citizen.
A Richmond judge granted Alvarado-Dubon a $15,000 bond Wednesday, but court documents show prosecutors have appealed the judge’s decision and that a hearing on the matter will be held Monday. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 2 in Richmond General District Court.
According to court documents, Alvarado-Dubon had lived in the Richmond area for three years and worked full-time in the construction industry.
Homeland Security Investigations, along with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and the FBI, are assisting Richmond police in investigating the men, immigration officials said.
PHOTOS: Richmond police discuss mass shooting plot planned for July 4
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney addresses the recent arrests and firearm seizures that prevented a mass shooting planned for July 4 at Richmond Police Headquarters in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, July 6, 2022.
Daniel Sanjeeb min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney addresses the recent arrests and firearm seizures that prevented a mass shooting planned for July 4 at Richmond Police Headquarters in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, July 6, 2022.
Daniel Sanjeeb min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Richmond Police Chief Gerald M. Smith addressed the recent arrests and seizure of firearms that prevented a mass shooting planned for July 4 at police headquarters in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, July 6, 2022.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH …
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