EPHRATA, Wash. -- Two suspects face murder charges in connection with the March 7 shooting of a 17-year-old boy in southern Grant County.
Mattawa police arrested the pair Wednesday during a traffic stop in Mattawa, the Grant County Sheriff's Office reported. They were expected to make their first court appearance today.
Luis A. Mejia Nunez, 20, of Mattawa and a 15-year old Mattawa boy are charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder.
They are accused of being among several occupants in a car from which the shots were fired.
The fatally shot victim, 17-year-old Carlos Leyva, and two companions were walking on a county road between Beverly and Schawana when the suspect vehicle passed by, sheriff's officials said. The occupants made hand signals toward Leyva's group before turning the car around and opening fire.
One of the boys was wounded; the other was able to run away, authorities said.
-- Mark Morey
Showing posts with label mattawa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mattawa. Show all posts
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Mattawa- 1 killed, 1 injured in drive-by
MATTAWA, Wash. — Authorities are investigating a drive-by shooting Sunday evening just north of here that left one teenager dead and another wounded.
Details are still sketchy and witnesses have been uncooperative, Grant County Undersheriff John Turley wrote in a news release issued today. It is unknown whether the shooting was gang-related, random or a retaliatory incident.
What authorities do know is this: Sometime about 6:20 p.m., somebody fired shots in the 17000 block of Road T.5 SW in Beverly, about five miles north of Mattawa.
One bullet killed 17-year-old Carlos D. Leyva of Beverly. A second 17-year-old male was shot in the ankle and taken to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake. He has been treated and released. A third teenager escaped uninjured.
— Melissa Sánchez
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/03/08/one-teen-dead-one-hurt-in-drive-by-near-mattawa
Details are still sketchy and witnesses have been uncooperative, Grant County Undersheriff John Turley wrote in a news release issued today. It is unknown whether the shooting was gang-related, random or a retaliatory incident.
What authorities do know is this: Sometime about 6:20 p.m., somebody fired shots in the 17000 block of Road T.5 SW in Beverly, about five miles north of Mattawa.
One bullet killed 17-year-old Carlos D. Leyva of Beverly. A second 17-year-old male was shot in the ankle and taken to Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake. He has been treated and released. A third teenager escaped uninjured.
— Melissa Sánchez
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/03/08/one-teen-dead-one-hurt-in-drive-by-near-mattawa
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Mattawa murder suspects confess
TRI CITIES, WA -- The man accused for murdering three people and robbing half-a-dozen convenience stores in a a trail of destruction that spanned three counties, faced a judge for the first time Thursday.
J. Guadalupe Martinez-Lopez made his first appearance in Grant County Superior Court charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. All the charges have firearm enhancements.
"He confessed to the murder and alluded to the fact that he'd been involved in several other armed robberies," Grant County Undersheriff John Turley told Action News.
In a statement to authorities, Martinez- Lopez said he shot a man named Oaxaca in his car, claiming he was mad at Oaxaca and a group of others for an alleged rape of a young girl in the past. As Oaxaca stumbled into the street, Martinez- Lopez stated he stood over him and fired another round. The body was found on Road 26 near Mattawa.
Witnesses said he then went to a mobile home where the rest of the group lived on Road 24.7. The documents report Martinez-Lopez stood on the front porch, telling the group that "what they did was wrong" and opened fire. Two men died, including Pedro Rivera Sanchez, 21.
The other victims are still not known.
Documents said he then drove to Sunnyside, held up the Pik-a-Pop store in the 1500 block and Hiway Fruit in the 200 block along the Yakima Valley Highway. He bought dinner with the stolen cash, police reported.
At that point, authorities were waiting for him, including Sunnyside, Granger and Grandview police, the Yakima County Sheriff's Office, the Washington State Patrol and the FBI. Coincidentally, Martinez-Lopez pulled right up next to an undercover police car.
"This was just a horrible person that we finally were able to find," Turley said.
Martinez-lopez was known to friends as "Pareja", Lupe or Lupian. Turley said he was a Mexican national who lived in Mattawa. "He had a second grade education, came from Michoacan (Mexico)."
Without U.S. documents, Turley said little is known about his past. But by 24 years old, Martinez-Lopez become known to authorities as a hardened criminal.
"He was living day to day by robbing people at gunpoint," Turley said.
From what we know, his crime spree started November 28th with an armed robbery at the Metro Mart on 10th and Lewis in Pasco. Two days later, he hit up One Stop, less than one mile away from the first robbery.
Two days after that, on December 2, Martinez-Lopez robbed Sandovals, a Basin City convenience store in North Franklin County. He also robbed a customer that happened to be inside. An hour later, Pasco police suspect he high-tailed it back to Pasco, where he's suspected of robbing Atomic foods on 4th Avenue.
"I was not scared but the employee was really shaking, she was crying," Atomic Foods owner Hardip Grewal told Action News after the incident.
At that point, investigators told Action News, they feared he was getting increasingly violent.
And five days later, police said, he did. In a signed statement, authorities said Martinez-Lopez confessed to gunning down three men in a mobile home near Mattawa on December 14.
"I feel sorry for the people in south county because that's truly a good area down there," Turley said.
While Martinez-Lopez scoffed at an alleged rape, he was apparently still untroubled by robbery. A day after the murders, police said he drove to Sunnyside where he robbed convenience stores.
Martinez-Lopez will be arraigned in grant county on the murder charges Tuesday, December 22.
To read the full probably cause statement on the investigation from Grant County deputies, click here.
http://www.kimatv.com/news/local/79576462.html
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Names of those arrested for Mattawa killings
The following were arrested at the El Valle restaraunt and booked into the Sunnyside jail for suspicion of murder:
Carrasco, Lucia Crystal, 24, of Sunnyside
Diaz, Miguel A, 23, of Mattawa
Guzman, Ignacio, 25, or Mattawa
Martinez Lopez, J. Guadalupe, 24, of Mattawa
Perez - Ruiz, Patricia, 25, of Sunnyside
Ramos, Juan Josue, 23, of Mattawa
Carrasco, Lucia Crystal, 24, of Sunnyside
Diaz, Miguel A, 23, of Mattawa
Guzman, Ignacio, 25, or Mattawa
Martinez Lopez, J. Guadalupe, 24, of Mattawa
Perez - Ruiz, Patricia, 25, of Sunnyside
Ramos, Juan Josue, 23, of Mattawa
Sunnyside- Mattawa killers arrested
SUNNYSIDE, Wash. — A group of people arrested Tuesday night here may include at least one man wanted in connection with a triple homicide near Mattawa.
Grant County Undersheriff John Turley told The Associated Press today that a suspect involved with Monday’s slaying of three Latino men near Mattawa was arrested Tuesday evening by the Sunnyside Police Department and the FBI.
Turley said this afternoon that the arrested man — believed to be the primary suspect — had been transferred to the Grant County jail.
He said he was waiting to confirm with detectives whether they had been seeking more than one suspect in the deaths. More information will be released later today, Turley said.
Details are still fuzzy, but on Tuesday police took as many as six people into custody at a popular Yakima Valley Highway restaurant in Sunnyside, said Charlotte Hinderlider, a Sunnyside Police spokeswoman.
She did not know what led police to the location but said witnesses and staff at the restaurant cooperated with police.
“There’s just really a lot wrapped up in these things,” she said.
At least some of those arrested are still being held at the Sunnyside jail.
Officers from Granger and Grandview assisted.
Among the group was a man police suspect robbed two convenience stores this week, Hinderlider said.
He walked into the restaurant while officers were there, shortly after the most recent alleged robbery was reported about 9 p.m., Hinderlider said.
His connection to the homicides was unclear, she said.
Grant County Undersheriff John Turley told The Associated Press today that a suspect involved with Monday’s slaying of three Latino men near Mattawa was arrested Tuesday evening by the Sunnyside Police Department and the FBI.
Turley said this afternoon that the arrested man — believed to be the primary suspect — had been transferred to the Grant County jail.
He said he was waiting to confirm with detectives whether they had been seeking more than one suspect in the deaths. More information will be released later today, Turley said.
Details are still fuzzy, but on Tuesday police took as many as six people into custody at a popular Yakima Valley Highway restaurant in Sunnyside, said Charlotte Hinderlider, a Sunnyside Police spokeswoman.
She did not know what led police to the location but said witnesses and staff at the restaurant cooperated with police.
“There’s just really a lot wrapped up in these things,” she said.
At least some of those arrested are still being held at the Sunnyside jail.
Officers from Granger and Grandview assisted.
Among the group was a man police suspect robbed two convenience stores this week, Hinderlider said.
He walked into the restaurant while officers were there, shortly after the most recent alleged robbery was reported about 9 p.m., Hinderlider said.
His connection to the homicides was unclear, she said.
Sunnyside- robbery suspect (and Mattawa killings suspect) arrested
SUNNYSIDE, Wash. — Police here say they have arrested a man who may have robbed two convenience stores this week along Yakima Valley Highway.
However, investigators are releasing almost no details because an investigation is still underway, said Charlotte Hinderlider, Sunnyside Police Department spokeswoman.
Police arrested the man Tuesday night at a Yakima Valley Highway Restaurant with a group of people who may be connected to Mattawa’s triple homicide.
Detectives are still sorting out his connection, Hinderlider said.
However, detectives believe the man held up a Pik-a-Pop store in the 1500 block Saturday and Hiway Fruit in the 200 block about 9 p.m. Tuesday night.
In Saturday’s robbery, police said, the man pointed a gun at the clerk demanding money and then fled with the cash. A few days later, police released a photo taken from a security camera asking for help identifying the suspect.
Detectives believe the man in custody is the man in the photo.
Hinderlider would not provide details about Wednesday’s robbery.
Police also did not release the name and age of the suspect, something they normally do after an arrest.
“There’s a lot of investigation that still needs to take place before we’re going to give out a name,” Hinderlider said.
The Yakima Herald-Republic typically withholds names of suspects until they are formally charged in court.
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/12/16/sunnyside-police-arrest-man-they-believe-has-connection-to-convenience-store-robberies
However, investigators are releasing almost no details because an investigation is still underway, said Charlotte Hinderlider, Sunnyside Police Department spokeswoman.
Police arrested the man Tuesday night at a Yakima Valley Highway Restaurant with a group of people who may be connected to Mattawa’s triple homicide.
Detectives are still sorting out his connection, Hinderlider said.
However, detectives believe the man held up a Pik-a-Pop store in the 1500 block Saturday and Hiway Fruit in the 200 block about 9 p.m. Tuesday night.
In Saturday’s robbery, police said, the man pointed a gun at the clerk demanding money and then fled with the cash. A few days later, police released a photo taken from a security camera asking for help identifying the suspect.
Detectives believe the man in custody is the man in the photo.
Hinderlider would not provide details about Wednesday’s robbery.
Police also did not release the name and age of the suspect, something they normally do after an arrest.
“There’s a lot of investigation that still needs to take place before we’re going to give out a name,” Hinderlider said.
The Yakima Herald-Republic typically withholds names of suspects until they are formally charged in court.
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/12/16/sunnyside-police-arrest-man-they-believe-has-connection-to-convenience-store-robberies
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Mattawa- triple homicide
MATTAWA -- Three men were shot to death near Mattawa, and it appears they were targeted and it wasn't a random act, authorities said Tuesday.
Grant County deputies responded to a call of gunshots at 9:15 p.m. Monday at a house on the 21000 block of Road 24.7 SW, about two miles outside of Mattawa.
One man was found dead at the scene. A second man found "barely alive" died in an ambulance despite medics' efforts to save him. The body of the third man was found lying on the road a couple of miles away, said Grant County Undersheriff John Turley.
All three had been shot. Turley did not elaborate on how the third victim might have gotten so far from the first scene.
"At this time we are not saying this is gang-related," he said.
Officials believe the victims were targeted and this is not the work of a random killer or killers, Turley said.
Investigators have identified one of the victims as a local man but are not yet releasing his name. The identities of the other victims are not yet known, Turley said.
The Washington State Patrol crime lab is helping gather evidence.
Mattawa is about 40 miles east of Yakima, near the Columbia River. The small town's population is 98 percent Hispanic, and the area has been struggling for some time with a big influx of gangs and illegal narcotics trafficking.
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/12/15/three-fatally-shot-in-mattawa
Grant County deputies responded to a call of gunshots at 9:15 p.m. Monday at a house on the 21000 block of Road 24.7 SW, about two miles outside of Mattawa.
One man was found dead at the scene. A second man found "barely alive" died in an ambulance despite medics' efforts to save him. The body of the third man was found lying on the road a couple of miles away, said Grant County Undersheriff John Turley.
All three had been shot. Turley did not elaborate on how the third victim might have gotten so far from the first scene.
"At this time we are not saying this is gang-related," he said.
Officials believe the victims were targeted and this is not the work of a random killer or killers, Turley said.
Investigators have identified one of the victims as a local man but are not yet releasing his name. The identities of the other victims are not yet known, Turley said.
The Washington State Patrol crime lab is helping gather evidence.
Mattawa is about 40 miles east of Yakima, near the Columbia River. The small town's population is 98 percent Hispanic, and the area has been struggling for some time with a big influx of gangs and illegal narcotics trafficking.
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/12/15/three-fatally-shot-in-mattawa
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