Attorney Withdraws From Defending Man Accused Of Trying to Kill Officer

By Linda Cicoira
Attorney Allan Zaleski, of Norfolk, Va., was granted a motion in Accomack Circuit Court last week to withdraw as the defense lawyer for a man suspected of attempting to kill an Accomack deputy.
A new lawyer will have to be appointed for Deandre Breshon Ayres, also known as De’Andre Breshon Ayres and Deondre Brashaun Ayers, 29, of Hanson Avenue in Norfolk, and previously of Painter.
It was disclosed during the hearing that Ayres had made complaints about Zaleski, who has practiced law for about 50 years.
Ayres was indicted on counts of attempted capital murder of an officer, use of a firearm in a felony, possession of a firearm by a felon, shooting from a vehicle, shooting at an officer’s squad car. The charges stem from incidents that occurred Sept. 26, 2016.
Maryland officers were investigating a robbery at the PNC Bank in Pocomoke at about 2 p.m. that day. Authorities said three people threatened to blow up the bank, but did not display weapons or explosive devices to tellers. Afterward, they were seen running towards the 6th Street Car Wash and getting into a silver Chevy Malibu with a Virginia tag.
Just after hearing an alert, Deputy Eric Nottingham of the Accomack County Sheriff’s Office saw the vehicle fitting the description near Temperanceville. He followed and when it ran a stop sign, he attempted to pull the car over.
“The vehicle was acting like it was stopping,” Nottingham testified at a preliminary hearing. It rolled to about 5 to 10 miles per hour “and then floored it and went up to 80 to 90 mph.” When the car suddenly jammed on the breaks, Nottingham saw an arm come out of the driver’s window with a gun pointed towards him.
“It started popping off,” he said. “I heard metal clanking around. I just heard a whole bunch of shots.” Nottingham put the squad car in reverse and the Malibu took off again. The deputy tried to chase it but his car quit running. “Three bullets struck my vehicle, one of them hit the transmission cord,” he continued.
An Eastern Shore man was charged with hit-and-run this week in connection with a traffic accident that occurred in Northampton County last summer, according to court records.
Juan Alfaro Rea, 43, with addresses of Crystal Beach Road in Onancock, and Beacon Street in Melfa, was arrested Dec. 3 for the June 30 incident. He is being held without bond. Trooper C.R. Hughes investigated.