A man accused of killing a Dublin resident outside his home in August 2024 has been ordered to stand trial after more than two years of delays, the Pleasanton Weekly reported.
Nicholas Paleveda, 40, was held to answer Thursday, Oct. 29, after a preliminary hearing on a murder charge and an enhancement alleging he committed the crime while lying in wait. That enhancement could make him eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted. Prosecutors added it earlier this year after uncovering more evidence, the Weekly said.
The 2024 shooting
Michael Dalipe, 37, was shot and killed outside his home at the Emerald Park Apartments on Hacienda Drive. KTVU reported at the time that the two men had communicated on the gaming platform Discord for about four years, according to court documents that cited Dalipe’s widow, and that they had a dispute shortly before the shooting. Police said Paleveda traveled from Arizona to confront Dalipe. Dalipe died at the scene.
Paleveda was arrested three days later in a Walmart parking lot in Barstow, nearly 400 miles away. According to the Weekly, he was convicted in 2020 of aggravated assault in Gainesville, Florida, for threatening a roommate with a gun, and was sentenced to three years of probation.
Two years of competency fights
In September 2024, Paleveda was found mentally incompetent to stand trial. He and his lawyers filed two habeas corpus petitions and appealed a court order allowing him to be forcibly given antipsychotic medication. The petitions were denied. The appeal was ruled moot after a judge found him competent in June, the Weekly reported.
The case was also slowed by Paleveda refusing to come to court, even though he has been held at Santa Rita Jail since his arrest. Dalipe’s widow, who testified at Thursday’s hearing, told the Weekly that he did appear this time.
What’s next
Paleveda is scheduled to be arraigned at 9 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin.