Grandview Man Charged with Murder After Fatal Forsell Road Shooting
Ángel Manuel Méndez, 35, faces second-degree murder charges after a shooting over a vehicle dispute left Miguel Moreno dead. Méndez is held on $500,000 bail.
Grandview Man Charged with Murder After Victim Dies from Gunshot Wound
Yakimaherald.com reports that Yakima County prosecutors have charged a Grandview-area man with second-degree murder following a fatal shooting on 12 October at his Forsell Road home.
Ángel Manuel Méndez, 35, was charged Monday in Yakima County Superior Court in the death of Miguel Moreno, a Mabton man. Moreno died on 23 October, according to Yakima County sheriff's spokesman Casey Schilperoort. Méndez was expected to be arraigned on the murder charge Friday.
Méndez had originally faced two counts of first-degree assault — one for shooting Moreno and one for firing at Moreno's brother during the incident in the 2200 block of Forsell Road.
Moreno's brother told 911 dispatchers around 9:30 a.m. on 12 October that his brother had been shot in the head. A second caller in the same block reported that a car had gone through a fence and become stuck in a field after shots were fired, and that the driver appeared to have been shot, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Deputies found Moreno with a gunshot wound to the head. He was airlifted by helicopter to a regional hospital, where surgeons removed a bullet, the affidavit stated.
Moreno's brother identified Méndez as the shooter and told investigators the confrontation stemmed from a dispute over a vehicle purchase. He said Méndez challenged them to a fight, and when they arrived at Méndez's home, Méndez opened fire on them without provocation. Moreno reversed his vehicle, struck a fence and came to rest in the field where he was found wounded.
Méndez called 911 at 10:27 a.m. that same day, saying he wanted to turn himself in but first wished to say goodbye to his children. He was taken into custody without incident at a relative's home in Granger.
Deputies searching Méndez's home recovered a .22-caliber rifle from a closet, an upper receiver for an AR-style rifle, .40-caliber ammunition and a Glock pistol magazine loaded with .40-caliber rounds. Also found were approximately an ounce of a white powder believed to be cocaine, along with a scale and packaging materials.
Méndez has prior convictions for domestic violence harassment, felony drunk driving, DUI vehicular assault, drive-by shooting, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.
He is currently held in Yakima County jail on $500,000 bail.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)