Walnut Creek man charged with attempted murder, torture of girlfriend

A 23-year-old man allegedly fired a pistol at his girlfriend as she tried to flee their Lincoln Avenue apartment in Walnut Creek.

WALNUT CREEK — A local resident is due in court soon for a preliminary hearing on charges of attempted murder and torture for allegedly firing a gun at his girlfriend as she attempted to flee their apartment.

Police say they arrested a 23-year-old Walnut Creek resident on suspicion of domestic violence and firing a gun at his girlfriend. He was later charged with torture, attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and causing injury to a cohabitant, according to court records.

The man was arrested on Jan. 1, and charged days later. At a court appearance earlier this month, attorneys confirmed an April preliminary hearing date, where a judge will review evidence and determine if there’s enough to allow the charges to stand.

Police searched the couple’s Lincoln Avenue apartment and recovered a pistol, multiple magazines and two boxes of ammunition, as well as evidence that the gun had been recently fired, authorities said.

Several neighbors called 911 to say they heard a loud fight at the apartment. When officers arrived, they reportedly found the woman outside, in obvious distress, reporting that her boyfriend had just attempted to shoot her.

The woman was hospitalized for her injuries, including one on her forehead that appeared to police to be the result of a beating, court records show.

Bail has been set at $2.3 million, court records show.