Robber who died in bank shootout had killed, robbed and beaten before

He killed at least one man. He hit his wife, and he threw her to the ground. He was a gang-banger, a frequent flier through the court system.

Court records show that Daniel Delfierro, shot dead by police Thursday after robbing a bank on Seattle's Aurora Avenue North, got out of prison May 10 after serving time for hitting and harassing his wife, among other charges, and headed straight for jail because of an old charge. His mother immediately bailed him out.

The bank robberies started eight days later, violent takeovers by two men wearing black and waving guns. First, a Washington Mutual branch 3.6 miles away from the home of Delfierro's mother. Then, on May 25, a Horizon Bank branch in Mount Vernon. On June 16, a Puyallup Wells Fargo was robbed.

FBI spokeswoman Robbie Burroughs said agents strongly believe the same two men were responsible for those three holdups, as well as Thursday's robbery at a Wells Fargo branch on Aurora.

Police issued an arrest warrant yesterday for Aristotle Marr, who they believe was Delfierro's accomplice who escaped a police dragnet Thursday by taking a couple hostage in their home near the bank, then calling a friend for a ride.

Maybe there are people who would say good things about Delfierro, or even bad things. But yesterday, they were quiet. His mother hung up. His wife didn't want to talk.

Maybe he was trying to change: On May 30, five days after one bank robbery, Delfierro showed up at the counter of Tukwila Municipal Court, offering to pay the money he owed on an old charge.

But Delfierro's court records paint a picture of a man who lived a cliche: violent life, violent death. He spat on a police officer, then ran, when he was 17. Days later, he tried to run over a high-school student with a truck, then hit him with an aluminum bat.

Just weeks after Delfierro turned 19, in August 1993, Maun Sang Louie was killed in a drive-by shooting, a volley in a gang war. Delfierro and another man were charged with second-degree murder, but the case was dismissed after a witness fled the country.

Delfierro said at the time that he wasn't guilty, that he was "sorry that anybody had to die."

Charges were refiled two years later. In a plea agreement, Delfierro pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter almost a month after he married his wife, the mother of his 3-year-old son.

Delfierro was sentenced to two years and seven months in prison, but was released in May 1998, a year early.

Five days later, he was arrested for misdemeanor charges of malicious mischief and assault and reckless endangerment. He was later found guilty and sentenced to 20 days in jail. Court records say "there is a suggestion that a mental health evaluation may be appropriate," but there's no indication that any was done.

In October of that year, he was charged in Kitsap County with domestic assault in the beating of a woman in whose van he was riding. She was beaten so badly that she drove off the road. The woman had to be hospitalized but refused to talk to police, they said, "out of fear."

Prosecutors had dismissed the misdemeanor charge and were going to refile the case as a felony this week.

Delfierro spent his days taking care of his son. He worked nights at Lonestar Northwest, the same place he had worked off and on for seven years. He drove from plant to plant, cleaning them. He earned $14 an hour.

The family had a penchant for using credit cards, and the debt that was racked up led them to file for bankruptcy this year.

According to court documents, they owed $112,393.64 and had assets of just $18,536. Among the biggest bills he owed was $23,305 to King County courts for restitution ordered as a result of the Louie killing.

In 1998, Delfierro listed income of just $17,172.15.

His wife, a loan officer who made about $37,000 that year, told police Delfierro hit her and she left him last year.

On April 1, 1999, Delfierro showed up at her door and yelled, "I know you're in there," according to court records. He kicked in the door and burst in. Her brother struggled with Delfierro and pinned him, but Delfierro got away. He was arrested. He wasn't supposed to contact his wife.

He was charged with residential burglary, but that charge was dropped last July, because witnesses didn't want to testify. He was released from jail. And less than three weeks later, he punched his wife.

He was arrested. In November, he was convicted of making harassing telephone calls, of third-degree assault, of residential burglary. He was sentenced to 13 months in prison but was released May 10 into the arms of the police, who jailed him because he hadn't paid old court fines.

His mother paid $2,100 to get him out.

Six weeks later, he was shot by police outside the Wells Fargo bank. He collapsed near a Bekins truck, a semiautomatic handgun and a backpack of money at his side. He was 25.

Seattle Times staff reporter Mike Carter contributed to this report.

Kim Barker's phone message number is 206-464-2255. Her e-mail address is kbarker@seattletimes.com