Ex-boyfriend arrested in Stanwood shooting death

An 18-year-old Everett man arrested in the shooting death of his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend had earlier threatened to shoot the victim in the face, according to a Snohomish County sheriff's report.

The man, who is not being identified because he hasn't been formally charged, is being held at the Snohomish County Jail. He was arrested in the murder investigation Tuesday.

Nick DeSimone, 19, had been sleeping at the home of his 16-year-old girlfriend's parents in the Warm Beach neighborhood near Stanwood when the shooting occurred, according to the sheriff's office.

DeSimone was shot in the head as he and his girlfriend slept on the floor in front of the television, according to the report. The girl woke up after hearing a loud pop and smelling smoke, but thought she was dreaming, the report said.

The girl told detectives she didn't notice DeSimone had been shot. Her father discovered the man's head injury when he attempted to awaken him later, according to the report. The girl called 911 around 4:30 a.m. to report that DeSimone was hurt.

The Everett man was pronounced dead at the home.

The girl told deputies she had been recently "harassed" by her ex-boyfriend after she ended their 1 ½-year relationship. She said the man threatened DeSimone and said he planned to "shoot him in the face," according to the report.

Deputies interviewed the 18-year-old man, and he said he didn't know about the shooting, the report said.

A neighbor told deputies a red car was in the neighborhood around 3:30 a.m., and he provided a partial license plate that matched a car the 18-year-old is known to drive, the sheriff's report said.

DeSimone (pronounced "Deh-sah-moe-née") was about to enter his second year at Edmonds Community College, where last year he played on the school's soccer team.

Family members described him as a happy, well-intentioned young man who could be counted on for a beautiful smile, a hug and a sympathetic ear for secrets he'd never divulge.

"He was always laughing, always smiling," said his sister, Michelle DeSimone, 23. "He had big brown eyes — they were just deep, you could see right into them."

She was returning to college this fall too, to keep close to her little brother. "We were supposed to motivate each other," she said, giving way to tears.

Nick DeSimone played on two state-champion club soccer teams — Snohomish United, coached by his father, and the Northwest National Pharaohs. As a senior, he was captain of his soccer team at Mariner High School, where his father still coaches. He graduated from Mariner in 2006.

The family's home and yard were filled Tuesday with friends and extended family, including the families of youths coached over the years by Vince DeSimone. Neighborhood kids and soccer team members said they always were welcomed into the DeSimone home.

"They treated us like parents, so Nick was like a brother," said former player Robbie Strotler, 23, of Bothell. So how would Nick want to be remembered?

His brother, Mike DeSimone, paused to think about that. Then he laughed.

"He was the [Xbox] Madden king. He just ran kids. No one could beat him," said Mike DeSimone, 20, who last year played soccer for the University of Washington.

That brought a smile to his sister's face, too. "I was his agent," she said. "I'd set people up to play with him."

"He's just a unique kid," his brother said.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com