On a spring day in 2022, Thomas Montaos Lorezca, a 40-year-old Hispanic male, went to a plumbing job in Spanaway, Washington, a routine call that ended in tragedy. A lifelong resident of nearby Kent, Lorezca was a dedicated plumber for Beacon Plumbing, where he had worked for 16 years. On May 23rd, he was dispatched to a residence on Military Road East for a repair job. While in the driveway, the homeowner accused him of hitting a gate with his work truck.
This minor incident escalated dramatically when the homeowner, Jacques Noel Dothard, then 55, confronted Lorezca.
The encounter, captured on surveillance footage, showed Dothard approaching Lorezca's truck after the two had a brief exchange. As Lorezca sat in the driver's seat, Dothard fired a pistol into the vehicle multiple times, inflicting fatal gunshot wounds. Lorezca was pronounced dead at the scene. His beloved miniature husky, Alpine, who often accompanied him on jobs, was in the truck with him at the time of the shooting. Pierce County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the home and arrested Dothard without incident.
The subsequent investigation revealed Dothard, an Army veteran with a criminal history and documented mental health issues, had an arsenal of weapons. Following the shooting, a neighbor saw him moving bags of guns to another residence. Searches of both his and the neighbor's homes uncovered numerous firearms and ammunition, including a 9 mm handgun and a rifle. Dothard was initially charged with first-degree murder and multiple counts of unlawful possession of a firearm.
In June 2024, Jacques Noel Dothard reached a plea agreement with prosecutors. The charges were amended to second-degree murder and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm, to which he pleaded guilty. During his sentencing in July 2024, Dothard expressed that he took accountability for his actions. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison. Lorezca was remembered by his family, friends, and employer as a devoted son, a problem-solver, and a "marquee human being" who played a significant role in training and improving the lives of his colleagues. His mother later filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against Dothard.
