Deputies say his 15-month-old daughter was in the car during the gunfire and in his arms during his arrest.
PARKLAND, WA — A 29-year-old Pierce County man is accused of firing several rounds at his sister’s home while his toddler daughter was in the car, then using the child to delay his arrest at a nearby apartment, according to charging documents and sheriff’s deputies.
Prosecutors say the case quickly widened from a family dispute into a felony investigation that now includes attempted drive-by shooting, unlawful gun possession, felony harassment, reckless endangerment and resisting arrest. The allegations matter because the gunfire was aimed at relatives in a residential area, no one was hit only by chance, and investigators say the child was exposed both to the shooting and to dangerous conditions inside the suspect’s apartment.
Authorities say the shooting happened Wednesday afternoon after Sergio Reyes Cuevas drove to the apartment where his sister and brother-in-law live in Parkland. Investigators allege he pulled up outside, opened fire and hit a vehicle belonging to the couple. No injuries were reported. After the shots were fired, prosecutors say, Cuevas sent a Facebook message to his brother-in-law that read, “The next one is for you.” The couple called 911 and told deputies they believed Cuevas had relapsed on drugs and could be found at his apartment nearby on Pacific Avenue. Deputies went there and tried to get him to surrender. According to investigators, he opened the door, shut it on deputies and stayed inside for about 10 minutes before coming back out with his daughter in front of him. Deputy Carly Cappetto later said the child was being used as a shield while deputies tried to take him into custody.
Charging papers describe a scene that investigators said raised alarms well beyond the alleged drive-by itself. Once Cuevas was arrested, deputies reported finding spent shell casings, live rounds and bullet holes throughout the apartment. Some of the damage, according to investigators, was in or near the child’s sleeping area. One report said deputies saw holes in a wall above the toddler’s crib and others that appeared to point toward a neighboring unit. Neighbors also told investigators they had recently heard multiple gunshots from inside the apartment. One neighbor told television reporters she was upstairs with her daughter when she heard a shot and hunkered down in fear. Another account in court records said neighbors had seen Cuevas acting erratically in the days before the arrest. Deputies said he was rambling about “dark things” in the apartment as they tried to take him into custody. Authorities have not publicly said whether he has entered a plea.
The case also pulls in a broader record that prosecutors say shaped their response. Court records and sheriff’s statements describe Cuevas as a convicted felon who was barred from possessing a firearm. Investigators say he has five prior felony convictions. Even so, a gun was still available in the home. According to investigators, Cuevas’ girlfriend told deputies the firearm was registered in her name, though she said she did not use it. She also said she had been living away from him because she feared for her safety and was seeking full custody of their daughter. Family members told investigators they believed methamphetamine use was part of the recent spiral. Those claims have not been tested in court, and authorities have not released toxicology results or other evidence that would independently confirm recent drug use. Child welfare officials also have not publicly detailed whether the family had prior agency contact. The result is a case built, at least for now, on deputies’ observations, family statements and physical evidence collected at the scene.
In legal terms, the allegations place Cuevas in a more serious category than a routine domestic disturbance. Attempted drive-by shooting is a major felony in Washington, and the unlawful possession allegation is tied to his status as a felon. Prosecutors also added felony harassment based on the alleged threat sent after the gunfire. Reckless endangerment counts reflect what investigators say was the risk to people inside the home, the child in the car and neighbors near both locations. The resisting arrest allegation stems from the standoff at the apartment door. A judge set bail at $200,000 at Cuevas’ first court appearance Thursday. Jail records and television reports said he remained in custody afterward. His next court date was scheduled for April 23. By then, prosecutors are expected to continue reviewing forensic evidence, including shell casings, bullet damage and any digital records tied to the alleged threat message. It is not yet clear whether additional charges could be filed.
For neighbors and relatives, the details in the case file turned an already tense family conflict into something much closer to a public safety scare. Deputies said the original target was the sister’s household, but the danger spread quickly because the shooting happened outside apartments and the later search turned up evidence of gunfire inside another multiunit building. The presence of the 15-month-old girl became one of the most striking parts of the case. Investigators say she was in the car during the alleged drive-by and then in her father’s arms when deputies tried to arrest him. In body camera video described by local television outlets, the cries of a small child can be heard while deputies negotiate outside the apartment. Cappetto said the situation carried a special urgency because a very young child was in the middle of what deputies viewed as a volatile domestic violence incident. By the end of the arrest, authorities said, the girl had not been physically hurt and was safe with her mother.
The case remained at the charging stage Friday, with Cuevas in jail, bail set at $200,000 and prosecutors preparing for the next hearing on April 23 as investigators continue reviewing the shooting evidence and conditions inside the apartment.
Author note: Last updated March 27, 2026.