Man shot acquaintance in head as they watched soccer game together in DC, feds say
A gunshot rang out at a recreational soccer game in Washington, D.C., leaving a spectator in the stands dead in late July, court documents say.
Pedro Funes, 33, who arrived to watch the game with an acquaintance, is accused of shooting the man in the head at the Marie Reed Elementary School field on July 26, according to federal prosecutors and documents filed in the Superior Court of D.C.
Before Arnold Solis, 30, was killed at the game, Funes and Solis appeared “friendly” with each other while buying beer and food prior to heading to the field, an affidavit says.
However, around 8:22 p.m., Funes placed a pistol against Solis’ head and shot him before “calmly” leaving the field, where about 70 people were gathered, according to the affidavit.
Then 911 calls started coming in about the shooting, according to the affidavit.
Funes, of Washington, D.C., has been arrested on a charge of first-degree murder, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced in a Sept. 7 news release.
He pleaded not guilty during an arraignment and is being held without bond, prosecutors said.
Information regarding Funes’ legal representation wasn’t listed in court records.
What led up to the shooting
In the affidavit, investigators describe Funes as Solis’ “associate.”
A review of surveillance footage captured Funes and Solis walking into a local liquor store and buying a pack of beer before the soccer game, according to the affidavit.
Inside the store, Funes and Solis appear to playfully push each other and are seen smiling and laughing, the affidavit says. Then, Solis “appeared to square-up” to Funes, who shook his head before they left the store, according to the affidavit.
Outside the store, surveillance recorded Funes angrily telling Solis “the next time you say that (expletive) I’m going to make sure you leak out your (expletive) brain,” the affidavit says.
Afterward, they bought chicken wings and fries at a takeout restaurant before walking to the Marie Reed Recreation Center, according to the affidavit.
The aftermath of the shooting
When police officers arrived at the field after the shooting, they found three people trying to help Solis, including a soccer player, the affidavit says.
The soccer player told officers he heard a “loud bang” while playing and looked up to see “smoke billowing away from (Solis’) face” with a person standing next to him, according to the affidavit.
The player said he saw the person, later identified as Funes, laying Solis backward before walking away with a “smile on his face,” the affidavit says.
Over the course of their investigation, investigators learned Funes was a “known associate” of Solis and the pair were previously co-defendants in a November 2020 case in Washington, D.C., according to the affidavit.
The U.S. Park Police arrested them on a charge of assault with the intent to rob on Nov. 16, 2020, the affidavit says. The status of that case is unclear.
Funes is also registered as a Class B sexual offender, according to the affidavit, which says he pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree child sexual abuse in July 2011.
Funes is due to appear in court for a preliminary hearing in the Solis case on Oct. 4, according to prosecutors.
This story was originally published September 8, 2023 at 9:13 AM with the headline "Man shot acquaintance in head as they watched soccer game together in DC, feds say."
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