He did it, no I did it, shooting victim changes her story

July 11, 2018

With her boyfriend possibly facing life in prison, a San Miguel woman who was shot in the neck last fall is now claiming that she, not he, pulled the trigger. [Cal Coast Times]

On Oct. 2, 2017, Dancene Cordova, 42, was shot in the neck. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputies arrived at the emergency room and determined Cordova’s boyfriend, Jim Pinedo, 38, was the shooter. Later that month, a SWAT team came to Pinedo’s San Miguel home to arrest him for attempted murder.

Pinedo, who could soon stand trial, is charged with 14 felony and misdemeanor counts, including attempted murder, assault with a firearm, corporal injury to a cohabitant, being a felon in possession of a firearm, disobeying a restraining order, false imprisonment and attempting to dissuade a witness. He could face life in prison if convicted of all charges.

Initially, Cordova testified for the prosecution in the case. But, Cordova now recants much of what she testified to in a preliminary hearing in the case, and the San Miguel woman says she lied to investigators.

Nonetheless, a judge ruled there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial. Pinedo’s attorney said his client rejected a plea deal offered to him by the District Attorney’s Office which would have resulted in about 30 years in prison.

Speaking with the Tribune, Cordova said she has been in a romantic relationship with Pinedo for nearly three years. She had been struggling with methamphetamine addiction in the months leading up to the shooting, she said.

On Oct. 2, Pinedo confronted her after he again caught her shooting methamphetamine, Cordova said. An argument ensued, and she grabbed Pinedo’s rifle that he kept at home despite being a felon prohibited from possessing firearms.

The alleged victim said she threatened to kill herself with the rifle and Pinedo tried to take the gun away from her. While they were struggling on the floor over the gun, the rifle went off, striking her in the neck, Cordova said.

Cordova said she was in a coma for a short time and she made up a lot of stuff about Pinedo while speaking with investigators. The San Miguel woman said she now does not want to testify for the prosecution and she stands with Pinedo 100 percent.

“I want him to come home,” Cordova said.

Pinedo is currently scheduled to stand trial on Oct. 22. He remains in the SLO County Jail with his bail set at $555,000.