BELTON, Mo. — Following an August 11 shooting in rural Cass County, Missouri, 41-year-old Jeffrey Arzola is being charged with Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Armed Criminal Action, both felonies in Missouri.
Brittany Sweeney contacted KSHB 41 and identified herself as the victim in the shooting over a week ago. Sweeney's role in the incident was confirmed to KSHB 41 by law enforcement.
"I had no idea who these people were," Sweeney told KSHB 41 News reporter Ryan Gamboa.
Late on August 11, Sweeney and her now former boyfriend got into an argument.
During that altercation, Sweeney and the man went their separate ways. The man left the vehicle on foot, and Sweeney went back to where they lived in rural Belton, Missouri.
Sweeney told KSHB 41 her former partner arrived later after obtaining a ride from someone she presumed were his friends.
"I didn't even know these people's names or who they were," she explained.
Her boyfriend, an unidentified woman, and Jeffrey Arzola arrived in a confrontational mood at the Belton residence, according to Sweeney. The altercation continued and escalated as Sweeney was on the phone with law enforcement. When she entered her vehicle to get out of the situation, Arzola fired three shots at Sweeney's vehicle, with one bullet hitting her in the foot.
"They went one way and I went the other," she said. "I didn't realize I was hit until my shoe filled up with blood."
After getting to the hospital and being questioned by police, Sweeney claims she was able to identify who shot her.
KSHB 41 pulled court documents on Jeffrey Arzola, a man convicted of second-degree murder more than 20 years ago.
A Federal Court Detention document outlined Arzola's criminal past.
The document states at 14 years old, Arzola fired a rifle into a group of people, killing an 18-year-old male.
He was subsequently certified as an adult, according to the documents. Arzola was placed in custody of Missouri Youth Services where he remained until his 21st birthday.
He was released on five years probation, where he remained in compliance during the period of supervision and completed his sentence in October 2009.
The original sentence was 25 years for second-degree murder and three years for armed criminal action.
In addition to that, Arzola had several other run-ins with law enforcement following the completion of his sentence.
In 2012, he was charged with criminal possession of a firearm by a felon and was given 18 months' probation instead of a year in jail. His drug possession charges were dismissed.
In 2013, Arzola was convicted of 2nd degree property damage. He also received a DWI not long after.
From 2014 to 2015, he was charged in three drug-related crimes.
In 2016, he was indicted for a felon illegally possessing a firearm in a prostitution sting.
"When somebody decides to bring a gun into a situation when they’ve already had second-degree murder charges, what is this?" exclaimed Sweeney. "This man should never be let out of prison again."
Sweeney admitted to KSHB 41 News reporter Ryan Gamboa that she also did not help de-escalate the situation.
"We both let the situation escalate to a point it didn’t need to," she said. "I wasn’t any less confrontational than they were necessarily, they just involved the gun."
KSHB 41 reached out to the Missouri Department of Corrections to better understand Arzola's past and was told by a spokesperson that he never was admitted into one of their facilities. Additionally, the documents surrounding his 1998 second-degree murder conviction are sealed because he was a minor at the time.
There are still many questions left unanswered about how frequent offenders with a violent past continue to walk free in society.
Sweeney calls for greater action by prosecutors moving forward, asking they take a hard look at an offender's past, ensuring no one else gets hurt.
She's even pushing for greater sentences to protect her own safety. A Class A unlawful use of a weapon charge can result in a prison term of no less than 10 years up to life imprisonment, if convicted. An armed criminal action offense, if convicted, could land a person in the Department of Corrections for a term of not less than three years and not to exceed fifteen years, unless the person is unlawfully possessing a firearm, in which case the term of imprisonment shall be for a term of not less than five years.
"This is his second time. How many more times does it take? How many more times are we going to do this?" Sweeney asked.
A criminal defense attorney told KSHB 41 News reporter Ryan Gamboa on the phone that many times in criminal cases, prosecutors will charge a person with a lesser sentence if they feel they can build a case around the evidence gathered in the first 48 hours.
The attorney went on to add that not only can the charges change up to the trial, but in rare occasions, during the trial, if the evidence presents itself.
For now, Brittany is reflecting on who she surrounds herself with and prioritizing getting back in good health.
"I have to think God’s got a bigger, better plan for me out there. And that all of this happened for a reason," she added.
She hopes Arzola and her ex-boyfriend can find peace and rehabilitation moving forward.
Arzola is being held in the Cass County Detention Center. A bond review hearing is scheduled for August 27 at 9:00 a.m.
