Boise murder suspect ‘laid in wait,’ set trap for victim

That’s what a prosecutor said Monday afternoon at the arraignment of Joshua J. Alberts.

The 39-year-old Boise man is accused of shooting Joshua Warren to death at about 11:45 a.m. Saturday at an apartment complex near Ustick and North Cole roads. He’s charged with one count of first-degree murder and is being held without bond.

Jeff White, Ada County deputy prosecutor, told a judge that Alberts had arranged to meet Warren so that the latter could pick up his children. Warren arrived at the apartment complex, rolled down his window and Alberts then opened fire with a handgun, shooting Warren in his head and torso, White said.

The handgun’s entire magazine was emptied, White said, though he didn’t how many bullets it held. Police said Warren was found dead at the scene.

“He laid in wait,” White said of Alberts.

When police arrived, witnesses pointed them to Warren’s body and to Alberts, who hadn’t left the scene. Alberts was still holding the gun when police arrested him, White said, and he did not deny the shooting to law enforcement.

Warren’s children were not at the scene and not in danger, White told the Statesman after the hearing.

Alberts remains in the Ada County Jail. He next has a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 7. That type of hearing determines if a case moves on to district court and a full trial.

This story was originally published February 22, 2016 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Boise murder suspect ‘laid in wait,’ set trap for victim."