Back in September 2021, someone decided the 1600 block of 28th Street was a fine place to spray bullets into a driveway full of people — including kids — because that’s apparently how disputes get handled in Central Lubbock. Two men were hit, 30-year-old Domingo Siri was killed on the spot, and Cleotis Johnson was left wounded and rushed to the hospital. A rolling gun battle earlier that same night left matching shell casings on 46th Street, just in case anyone wondered if this was a one-off or part of a full-evening crime spree.
After a tip finally broke the case open in 2022, police learned the shooters didn’t even bother with subtlety. Catelyn Pina admitted she was driving the car while her boyfriend, Adam Villarreal, and a mystery third guy rode along armed. According to her own statement, she was told where to drive while the men brought the guns, which is kind of like saying you didn’t rob the bank — you just drove the getaway car.
Villarreal, who started out charged with murder, eventually pleaded down to aggravated assault charges and got 15 years. Pina, who was also initially charged with murder, worked a similar plea deal and on Monday was sentenced to five years in prison for aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury. That’s for a case where someone died, another person was wounded, and bullets flew into a driveway full of bystanders.
So, to recap: one person is dead, another was shot, kids were nearby, shell casings matched the suspects’ car, cell phones put them at the scene — and the driver gets five years with 249 days already credited. In Lubbock, apparently, being the wheelman in a deadly drive-by is more of a misdemeanor vibe than a life-altering catastrophe.
If this is what “accountability” looks like, should we start selling punch cards — commit five drive-bys and the sixth one’s free?