Man accused of killing his girlfriend while in custody because he was accused of previously attacking her | Crime and courts

A Wapato man has been accused of attacking his girlfriend three days before he was murdered.

Gianni Philip Alaimo was charged with two counts of second-degree assault after prosecutors said he rammed a car carrying Heather England and her sister. He is also charged with second-degree malicious wounding and hit-and-run in an unattended vehicle in the Sept. 3 incident.

Alaimo, 45, is charged with first-degree murder in the England shooting and with fleeing police when he was arrested Sept. 10 in Yakima after a high-speed chase from the Lower Valley.

He is currently being held without bail in the Yakima County Jail on murder charges. If convicted, he faces life in prison without parole. Bail was set at $25,000 on the second-degree assault charge.

England's sister told Yakima police on Sept. 3 that Alaimo, who had been dating England for four months, was acting erratically and accused England of cheating on him. When Alaimo wouldn't leave, England's sister took her and drove to her mother's house, the affidavit says.

Alaimo followed him in his car and cut them off. As she backed up to get away, Alaimo also backed up and crashed into a parked car and her vehicle.

Alaimo was arrested and while police recommended that Alaimo be given a high bond because of his lengthy criminal record and proven Sureño gang membership, Yakima County Superior Court Judge Jared Boswell followed investigators' recommendation to hold him to be released under court staff supervision during a preliminary hearing on Sept. 5. Boswell also ordered Alaimo to have no contact with England and not to approach her within 1,000 feet.

Alaimo was released from jail at about 5:50 p.m. on Sept. 5 with instructions to report to the pretrial services office the next morning, according to jail and court documents.

Alaimo's cousin said that Alaimo called him later that evening to have drinks at a Yakima bar, where they stayed until 2 a.m. and then drove to Alaimo's house in separate vehicles.

Shortly after they got to the house, England stopped by and she and Alaimo began arguing inside the house, according to a probable cause affidavit, with Alaimo accusing her of cheating on him. Alaimo took his cousin's pistol, the affidavit says, and pointed the gun at England.

England ran out of the house and Alaimo shot her, the affidavit says. England died at the scene. She was 37.

Alaimo was arrested Sept. 10 after a chase on Interstate 82 into downtown Yakima. He is expected to be arraigned Oct. 7 in Yakima County Superior Court.