GALVESTON, Texas - A man convicted of shooting his coworker at a Dickinson car dealership was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison.
Joshua Allen Lee, of Friendswood, pleaded guilty in July to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for the January shooting of the body shop manager at Gay Family Auto Dealership.
Dickinson Police responded to the scene just after 11 a.m. Jan. 12 in the 3000 block of the Gulf Freeway. A witness told police a disgruntled employee shot the victim, identified as Michael Pavlas, after a dispute about a paycheck. Pavlas told the court Lee demanded his paycheck early, and Pavlas said he would have the check cut and made available to pick up later in the day. Pavlas said Lee became angry, pulled out a gun and began shooting at Pavlas, striking him multiple times.
Pavlas was rushed to Clear Lake Regional Hospital in Webster for emergency surgery. Doctors testified Pavlas was in “extremely critical condition” when he arrived and had 13 entry and exit holes, any of them life-threatening. Pavlas told the court that he underwent multiple surgeries to repair the damage caused by the gunshot wounds and will need additional surgeries in the future.
Lee will be eligible for parole after serving one-half of his sentence in prison.
