Sunnyside- victims in fatal shooting named

SUNNYSIDE, Wash. — Authorities on Monday identified two of the victims of a weekend shooting in a Sunnyside restaurant that left one person dead and two wounded.

Ramon Magna Mendoza, a 25-year-old Sunnyside area resident, died of multiple gunshot wounds to the torso in the Friday night shooting, based on an autopsy Monday afternoon, said Jack Hawkins, Yakima County coroner.

Meanwhile, Maria Reyes, 42, of Sunnyside, is in critical condition in Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, Hawkins said.

A third victim, a man, was treated and released at a local hospital. His identity has not been released pending notification of family members and because of the nature of the investigation, said Charlotte Hinderlider, a Sunnyside police spokeswoman.

The shooting occurred about 10:45 p.m. Friday at Ricos Tacos Guadalajara on Yakima Valley Highway.

Hawkins said he used fingerprints and conversations with relatives in Mexico and California to identify Mendoza, who was found with no identification. Family members are on their way to Yakima, Hawkins said.

Reyes may be a relative of Mendoza’s girlfriend, Hawkins said.

Meanwhile, Sunnyside police detectives have multiple suspects in the investigation, according to a news release Monday by Hinderlider.

On Saturday, detectives found one suspect vehicle, a white Chevrolet Malibu, while it was burning north of Sunnyside, the release said.

The Washington State Patrol Crime Lab Response Team and Washington State Patrol detectives have been asked to assist in the investigation.

Restaurant owner Francisco Hernandez said he doesn’t know what will happen next with his business.

He spent Monday moving furniture and equipment from the bright red-colored restaurant into a rented trailer.

“I’m really not sure right now,” Hernandez said. “We’ve never had any problems here before, nothing like this that happened.”

• Reporter Melissa Sánchez contributed to this report.

• Ross Courtney can be reached at 509-930-8798 or rcourtney@yakimaherald.com.

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/03/30/officials-name-two-victims-in-fatal-sunnyside-shooting

Yakima City Council targets gangs

YAKIMA, Wash. — Gang houses and other problem properties could face stiff fines and extra scrutiny from police under a proposal being considered by the Yakima City Council.

The council held a study session Tuesday morning to consider how to deal with chronic nuisance properties. Members agreed to hold a public hearing soon to gather comments.

City Attorney Jeff Cutter presented the council with a draft ordinance modeled after one recently approved in Seattle.

Although much of the discussion focused on the proposed law’s application to gangs, Cutter said the standards could be applied to other locations “that are magnets for criminal activity or at least involve a lot of response from the police department.”

Nuisance properties would be defined as locations that yield three or more serious police calls within a two-month period or at least seven within a year.

Nuisance activity would be defined as violent crimes, drive-by shootings, prostitution and drug activity, among other examples.

The proposal would cover some of the same ground as legislation put forward this year by state Rep. Norm Johnson, R-Yakima. That measure failed to make it through the Senate over concerns about possible racial profiling and questions about whether parents would be unfairly forced out of their homes because of their children’s activity.

As originally introduced, House Bill 2414 would have classified criminal gang activity as a nuisance and provided a process for neighbors, a public agency or anyone within a one-block radius of a known gang hangout to file legal action to stop the activity.

The American Civil Liberties Union has also expressed concern about whether the Seattle ordinance is too broad, according to a memo from Cutter to the council.

City officials said the proposed ordinance would focus on calls or activity committed at a particular address, rather than criminal activity by residents there.

Police have already identified more than a dozen properties that may qualify for extra enforcement because of gang problems.

But deputy chief Kelly Rosenow and other city staff emphasized that the ordinance would have to be carefully managed and would require significant staff time.

“It’s going to take a lot of work on our part, but we also know we have to do something to take back our neighborhoods,” Rosenow told the council.

Direct expenses would be limited to mostly title searches, about $350 apiece, to verify ownership of a targeted property and mailing of notices.

Property owners would have 30 days to begin fixing issues identified by police — cleaning up the site or evicting tenants, for example — or they could be fined $500 a day. If the case made it to court, they could face a fine up to $25,000.

If the targeted location is a business, the ordinance allows the city to withdraw a business license or decline to renew it.

The council voted 7-0 to move the matter to a public hearing, with a vote on whether to approve the ordinance expected to follow. The date for the hearing has not been set.

Councilwoman Maureen Adkison said Yakima’s work on a nuisance ordinance may help push the Legislature to approve a similar statewide law.

“I think this shows that the city of Yakima is not going to roll over, that we are willing to do something on our own,” she said.


• Mark Morey can be reached at 509-577-7671 or mmorey@yakimaherald.com.

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/03/30/yakima-council-targets-gangs-with-proposed-ordinance

Kennewick police seek shooting suspect

Kennewick police are searching for suspects after a man was injured in a shooting Sunday.

The victim, who's name or age were not immediately released, was shot in the chest, said Cpl. Joe Jackson. He was being treated as of 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

The shooting apparently occurred at Fourth Avenue and Vancouver Street just before 6:30 p.m., Jackson said.

Kennewick police learned of the shooting after the victim arrived at Kennewick General Hospital. He reportedly was driven there by friends.

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2010/03/29/956792/kennewick-police-seek-suspects.html

Sunnyside- I dead in triple shooting

Last Friday at approximately 10:45 p.m. Sunnyside police rushed to the scene of a reported shooting at 809 Yakima Valley Highway, also known as the site of Rico's Tacos.

Officers arrived at the site to find three victims had been struck by gunfire, one of them, a male, was deceased on arrival.

A female victim was found shot multiple times and was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Another adult male was treated for gunshot wounds at Sunnyside Community Hospital and released.

An autopsy of the deceased victim is scheduled for today (Monday) and additional victim information has not yet been released by authorities.

The Sunnyside Police Department is being assisted by the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab Response Team and detectives from the Washington State Patrol in investigating the incident.

It is believed multiple suspects were involved, but information regarding the suspects is being held from the public.

A suspect vehicle described as a white Chevrolet Malibu, said Sunnyside police, was recovered north of Sunnyside Saturday. It is believed it was in the process of being destroyed as it was found burning.

Anyone with information involving this case is asked to call the Sunnyside Police Department at 509-836-6200.
http://www.dailysunnews.com/DSNNews17.shtml

2 Sunnyside shootings

On March 23, a shooting occurred on McClain Dr in Sunnyside.

On March 21, an assault with a firearm occurred on the 1000 block of Tacoma Ave in Sunnyside.

Wapato- 2 arrested after shooting at car

WAPATO, Wash. -- A man and a woman were arrested Monday evening in connection with a report that shots were fired at a vehicle in the Wapato area, authorities said.

Wapato police and Yakima County sheriff's deputies were sent about 7:20 p.m. to the area of U.S. Highway 97 and Jones Road because someone in one vehicle was shooting at another, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

The suspect vehicle, a Volkswagen Jetta, was found on Sixth Street in Yakima.

The occupants claimed they opened fire because they were being threatened.

The other vehicle was not located. No injuries were reported.

The woman was arrested on suspicion of reckless endangerment; the man was arrested for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/03/23/two-people-arrested-on-suspicion-of-shooting-at-car

Yakima- dumb surenos shoot farm worker for wearing red

YAKIMA, WASH. -- A 20-year-old Yakima man faces specialized surgery to remove the bullet lodged in his neck from a Sunday evening shooting that apparently was prompted by his red clothing, police said Monday.

Initial reports suggested that the man, who described himself as a farm worker, was not a gang member. Detectives said they had not developed any information to contradict his report, but the investigation was going slowly due to a lack of information about possible suspects.

The man told police that a blue van pulled alongside his vehicle at a stop sign at Seventh and Adams streets. The van's passenger fired one roundjavascript:void(0), which hit him in the left shoulder.

The man drove himself to Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital.

Police said the man was expected to recover, but has been transferred to an unspecified medical facility for specialized surgery. Because of the bullet's sensitive location, doctors wanted to make sure they did not do more damage taking it out, Yakima police Sgt. Tony Bennett said.

The incident was the latest of several shootings involving apparently innocent victims since last summer, when gang-related shootings spiked in the Yakima Valley.

Last July, a stray shot from a gang fight struck the leg of a 23-year-old woman visiting from Lansing, Mich.

That shooting came just six days after a 13-year-old girl who lived two blocks down the same street in north-central Yakima was seriously injured when shots were fired into her Roosevelt Avenue home. Police said her family had no known gang connections.

Neither of those incidents were fatal, but in 2005 a shooting reportedly inspired by a red sweatshirt claimed the life of 21-year-old Octavio Abundiz Jr. in Yakima.

Friends said he was not a gang member. He worked as a cook and dreamed of a career in law enforcement, they said.

Bennett said residents should not be overly concerned about wearing red or blue clothing, noting that he often wears such shirts. But he said the incident highlights the need for parents to stay aware of what their children are wearing and who they are associating with.

Gang clothing generally involves multiple elements beyond the shirt, including certain types of pants, belts, shoes and shoelaces.


* Mark Morey can be reached at 509-577-7671 or mmorey@yakimaherald.com.

http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/03/22/farm-worker-shot-while-wearing-red-needs-specialized-surgery