Pierce County deputy allegedly threatened to kill wife’s boyfriend in phone call
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office deputy accused of felony harassment allegedly told his wife’s boyfriend in a phone call that he would put “a bullet in his dome,” and he would get “bits and pieces of his son” if he didn’t stop talking to her.
In a statement sent to investigators by his attorney, the 36-year-old deputy, Edgar Ruiz, said he was aware of the allegation and didn’t believe it was true, according to charging papers. Ruiz said he didn’t recall telling the boyfriend he would shoot him, and that the phone call and other text messages were two men “talking trash.”
“I am sorry for my role in engaging this man and attribute it to my own emotions and stress in dealing with the dissolution of my marriage,” Ruiz said, according to the probable cause document.
The Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday that the conduct alleged in the case is unacceptable, and that command staff was working to fire Ruiz. The law enforcement agency took back its equipment from the deputy and placed him on desk duty Jan. 26.
Court records show an arraignment date was set for June 2, and Ruiz will be summoned to court. The News Tribune was not able to directly reach Ruiz or his attorney for comment Thursday morning. He has not been jailed.
Detectives began investigating Ruiz in December after his wife’s boyfriend, who lives in California, reported that Ruiz threatened to “put a bullet in his dome” if he didn’t stop talking to Ruiz’s wife, according to the probable cause document.
The boyfriend sent investigators screenshots of text messages he received Nov. 2 and Nov. 6 in Spanish and English. A detective used Google Translate to translate the message to English. According to the probable cause document, it told the boyfriend to stop talking to Ruiz’s wife.
“If you continue, you’ll find out what we’re capable of doing to make you leave her alone,” the message allegedly said.
The text also mentioned the boyfriend’s mother, sister and son, and the sender said they knew where the boyfriend lived and worked.
Ruiz and the boyfriend spoke on the phone Nov. 27, according to the probable cause document, and that’s when Ruiz allegedly made the shooting threat. In an interview with detectives, the boyfriend reported that Ruiz told him to delete and block the number for Ruiz’s wife.
Ruiz allegedly told the boyfriend that he would be at his doorstep looking for him in December. The boyfriend reported to detectives that he told Ruiz, “I wish you would talk like a big guy over the phone, and I said you’re telling someone that’s 6 foot and you’re only 5’3” and on top of that you’re a deputy how does that present you.”
“[The boyfriend] stated that Ruiz told him he was going to give him a present, that there were people looking for him and his son … [The boyfriend] stated that Ruiz told him that he would get bits and pieces of his son.”
Ruiz recalled the conversation in the statement from his attorney. Ruiz said he remembered the boyfriend demeaning his height and saying words to the effect of, “I’ll kick your ass.” Ruiz called it a “chest-pounding contest” between two men involved with the same woman.
