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Valley limo driver speaks out after being shot by man in west Phoenix

Posted at 7:06 PM, May 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-05-20 22:06:13-04

A Valley limo driver is speaking out after being shot by a man accused of being involved in at least two other shootings in Phoenix.

Police responded to the area of 69th Avenue and Van Buren Street early Sunday morning after receiving reports about a shooting.

When officers arrived at the scene they found a man lying on the driveway outside of a home, court documents stated. There was also a white Hummer limousine parked nearby.

According to court paperwork, Zhair Zamora Sepulveda, 29, was standing in a carport near the victim holding a handgun.

Investigators discovered that Sepulveda rented the limo with his girlfriend for the night and the victim was the limo driver.

After dropping off the couple after midnight, the victim, only identified to ABC15 as Rene, asked for additional monies because they went over the amount of time that Sepulveda paid for, court paperwork stated.

Sepulveda went inside his house and came out with a handgun, court paperwork said. When he reemerged he allegedly fired five times towards the ground and at the driver.

Rene assumed the suspect was going into the house to get money but instead he came out with a gun and started shooting.

"I was looking at the barrel of the gun," Rene said. "He squeezes the trigger and the gun fired downwards hitting me."

Rene said one bullet was lodged into his shin and the other grazed his ankle. After being shot he fell onto the pavement and hit his head.

"I was yell bloody murder, " Rene said. "It's one in the morning. I was hoping somebody was around. Wake up — wake up somebody. This guy shot me!"

While being questioned by police, Sepulveda allegedly admitted to firing the gunshots as a warning to the victim but did not intend to shoot the man, court documents said.

During the investigation, it was discovered that Sepulveda is connected to a shooting in 2013. The suspect allegedly shot a person in the stomach in Phoenix, court documents said.

The victim in that shooting did not want to cooperate with the investigation, court documents said. However, while recently being interviewed by officials Sepulveda allegedly admitted that he was the shooter in the 2013 incident. He said it was done in self-defense.

Evidence from the 2013 shooting linked the handgun used to a prior incident just two years earlier, court paperwork stated.

In 2011, a shooting occurred outside of Sepulveda’s home. A description of the alleged gunman is similar to the suspect’s appearance — however, he denied being involved in that incident.

Authorities also discovered that Sepulveda is in the country illegally and was previously deported. Sepulveda told police that he was brought to the United States illegally when he was 5 years old.

"Yes, I'm angry," Rene said. "That shouldn't of happened, but the fact that he's an illegal I don't know what to say about that."

He is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, misconduct involving a weapon and prohibited possessor.