Trial for Quincy man facing attempted murder charge in TJ Maxx shooting stricken from December docket

QUINCY — The trial scheduled to begin Monday morning for a Quincy man facing a charge of attempted first-degree murder and four other felony charges stemming from a July 6 shooting incident in the TJ Maxx parking lot at the Prairie Trails Crossing shopping center has been delayed for at least two months.

The trial for Alan Pacheco, 22, was stricken from the December jury docket during a brief hearing on Friday afternoon in Adams County Circuit Court before Circuit Judge Holly Henze. Pacheco, lodged in the Adams County Jail since his arrest, was placed on house arrest after Friday’s hearing and ordered to have GPS monitoring.

Defense attorney Ryan Schuenke said new evidence was discovered on Friday, leading to the decision to postpone the trial. Henze set a status hearing for Jan. 15.

Pacheco has been charged with:

• Two counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, a Class 1 felony punishable for between five and 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, for discharging a firearm at Terrance D. Horton and Islam D. Woodson.
• One count of aggravated battery with a firearm, a Class X felony punishable for between six and 30 years in prison, for discharging a firearm and causing injury to Horton.
• One count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, a Class 4 felony punishable for between one and three years in prison, for knowingly possessing a Smith and Wesson M&P Shield 9mm handgun when he was not on his land, his home or his fixed place of business.
• One count of attempted first-degree murder, a Class X felony punishable for between 25 years to natural life in prison, in that he knowingly discharged a firearm with intent to kill Horton. 

Officers from the Quincy Police Department were dispatched at 2:28 p.m. Saturday, July 6 to 6210 Broadway to a shooting incident in the parking lot in front of TJ Maxx. Officers from the Quincy Police Department, Adams County Sheriff’s Department and the Illinois State Police responded and found Horton on the ground with apparent gunshot wounds.

Pacheco was taken into custody after returning to the scene.

Schuenke argued during a July hearing that Woodson and Horton stalked Pacheco and his girlfriend as they were shopping at TJ Maxx, then attacked them as they sat in Pacheco’s vehicle. He said Pacheco acted in self-defense when he shot Horton and fired his weapon at Woodson but intentionally shot at the ground to scare him.