DPD Releases Sketch of Park Lane Garage Shooter

Dallas Police Department officers are looking for a teenager they believe shot and killed an former Highland Park High School student during an apparent drug deal gone wrong. According to a description from witnesses who accompanied the victim, Joseph Pintucci, to the garage, the 18-year-old's shooter is Latino, between 18...

By Stephen Young

January 28, 2019

The man who shot Joseph Pintucci, according to the Dallas Police Department Dallas Police Department

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Dallas Police Department officers are looking for a teenager they believe shot and killed a former Highland Park High School student during what police say appears to be a drug deal gone wrong. According to a description from witnesses who accompanied the victim, Joseph Pintucci, to the garage, the 18-year-old's shooter is Latino, between 18 and 19 years old and 5 feet, 6 inches tall. At the time of the shooting, he was wearing a gold teeth grill with diamonds, according to the description being given out by police, and might have been wearing a gray hoodie and jeans.

Late Thursday night, Pintucci got in touch with three people via an instant messaging app, police said. After the shooter and two others agreed to buy drugs from Pintucci, the group met in the Park Lane parking garage at Central Expressway that serves retailers like Whole Foods and Dick's Sporting Goods.

After making small talk for a few minutes, police said, the shooter and the two others pulled guns on Pintucci and two other men who'd come along for the deal, demanding the drugs. Pintucci handed the drugs over, but the gunman shot him anyway, according to police.

Saturday, the two witnesses who accompanied to Pintucci to the drug deal identified Rene Eduardo Montanez Jr. as being one of the three robbers, but not the shooter. The sketch of the shooter was drawn based on their descriptions. DPD also released surveillance video from the scene, showing portions of the alleged robbery, as well as a 2005 black Chevy Tahoe that they believe could be the getaway car.
During an interview with police, Montanez said he didn't rob or shoot Pintucci. He's been charged with capital murder and is in Dallas County Jail. His bond is $500,000.

click to enlarge

Rene Eduardo Montanez Jr.

Dallas County

In a statement to The Dallas Morning News, Andrea Haag, Pintucci's legal guardian, called her son a "gentle soul."

"My child made a poor choice to be involved in a transfer of marijuana, a substance which is legal in 33 states of our country," Haag said. "This does not define his life. Make no mistake, this child was the victim of a senseless and violent murder."

KEEP THE OBSERVER FREE... Since we started the Dallas Observer, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.