Gang members' argument over $5 led to woman's shooting death: PCSO

An argument between two rival gang members over a $5 drug deal led to one of the men accidentally shooting his girlfriend, killing her, according to new documents released by the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Arrest affidavits show Joshua Clark, a.k.a. "Chop," gave Jose Coronado, a.k.a. "Tweety," money for synthetic marijuana on Wednesday at the home of Coronado's girlfriend, Mary Dino, in Mulberry.

Early Thursday, according to deputies, Clark confronted Coronado in the driveway and demanded either the drugs or his $5 back.

Mugshots of Jose Coronado and Joshua Clark courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Mugshots of Jose Coronado and Joshua Clark courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff's Office.

Documents show Coronado, who was in his car with Dino at the time, pointed a gun at Clark. Dino then grabbed Coronado while asking him to stop, and that's when the gun went off, shooting Dino in the chest.

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Coronado and Clark then fired multiple shots at each other, but neither was hit, deputies said.

The report shows Coronado dropped Dino off on the bed of a pickup truck outside another home minutes later, then yelled at the people in the home to call 911. Dino, 28, later died at the hospital.

A vehicle description from a witness helped deputies track down Coronado near Fort Meade, leading to a pursuit. They performed a PIT maneuver and arrested him, PCSO said.

When interviewed by deputies, Coronado denied having any guns on him and claimed Clark shot Dino.

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The sheriff's office said Clark admitted to firing at Coronado, then driving to a friend's house and hiding the gun in the attic because he's a convicted felon.

At a news conference Thursday, Sheriff Grady Judd said both suspects are known meth dealers and are part of what he called a "cranker colony."

Coronado, 34, faces the following charges:

  • Manslaughter
  • Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon
  • Tampering with physical evidence
  • Discharging a firearm in a residential area
  • Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
  • Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon

Clark, 35, faces the following charges:

  • Tampering with physical evidence
  • Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
  • Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon
  • Discharging a firearm in a residential area

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