Jose M. Valentin, 43, Galva, appeared for a preliminary hearing in the Henry County Circuit Court on Monday, along with his attorney, Jonathan Ruud. Valentin appeared in the custody of Henry County, and is charged with two counts of intent to kill in the death of Jimmy Hollins II, 31, of Kewanee.
Hollins was found with a gunshot wound to his neck and lying in a roadway on Sunday, March 24. He was eventually pronounced dead on the scene. Valentin was arrested several days later and charged with his murder.
Testifying at the preliminary hearing for the state was Kewanee Police Det. Trey Kazubowski, who told the court that the Kewanee Police Department responded to a call of a gunshot victim lying in the street covered in blood in the 100 block of Houle Avenue.
Kazubowski said that when police arrived on the scene, they found the victim and quickly identified him as Hollins. The preliminary cause of death, the detective said, was a gunshot wound to the neck.
Under questioning from Henry County State’s Attorney Catherine Runty, Kazubowski said that he participated in the initial investigation and that officers were able to speak to witnesses who reported seeing a silver Yukon drive past followed by a vehicle operated by Hollins, and that witnesses reported later seeing Hollins covered in blood and laying in the roadway.
The driver of the Yukon was first identified by another name but later it was determined to be Jose Valentin. The vehicle’s registration came back as belonging to the wife of Valentin, Kazubowski said.
Through other witnesses’ phones, text messages and apps, the police learned that Valentin sent a message to Jessica Smith that he was “riding dirty.” When questioned by Runty about the phrase, Kazubowski said the term is used to mean driving with narcotics or a weapon.
According to Kazubowski’s testimony, a shell casing was found on the scene and preserved, and the gun was recovered from another witness and has been placed in evidence.
Kazubowski testified that a witness turned the weapon over and gave a statement that Jose came to the witness’ house, came inside and set the gun on the table, saying that he couldn’t “ride dirty” to Chicago before leaving.
Another text message from Valentin revealed that there was an altercation between Hollins and Valentin, and that Hollins reportedly punched Valentin, who then displayed his firearm and fired it.
Kazubowski said the gun is still at the lab and no information has been received yet as to whether it was the same kind of firearm used to shoot Hollins.
On cross examination by Attorney Ruud, Kazubowski testified that Hollins was following Valentin the night of March 24 in his car, the model of which he couldn’t recall but said he believed it was either a Tahoe or a Yukon, and that there was no witness to the shooting itself.
Ruud asked the detective if Jose, in his text messages, stated that he was punched by Hollins and defended himself to which Kazubowski responded yes.
Runty told the court that the state had more than met its burden of probable cause, but Ruud laid the groundwork for a self-defense argument, stating that his client was attacked by Hollins.
Judge Colby Hathaway ruled that there was probable cause to proceed to trial. The defense waived the reading of the formal charges, entered a plea of not-guilty with a demand for a jury trial.
Valentin will remain in jail after Judge Hathaway sided with the prosecution on its petition to deny pretrial release.
Runty argued that Valentin posed a risk to the safety of the community and witnesses and was a flight risk since he immediately left the area following the incident. Valentin was apprehended several days after the shooting by the North Riverside Police Department and transported to the Henry County Jail.
Ruud’s argument that Valentin merely acted in self-defense and that he had no great criminal history and had a good job wasn’t enough to sway the court.
Hathaway ruled that the state had proven that the defendant, following the shooting, took action to conceal himself and evade prosecution, going so far as to rid himself of his cellphone number.
“I find it unlikely the defendant would comply,” the judge said, also stating the defendant “presented a real and present threat to the community” and is charged with a “violent act resulting in a death by firearm that took place on a city street.”
The first pretrial hearing in the case is set for May 16 at 3 p.m.
