Teen Arrested, 22 Year Old Sought in Kennewick Shooting Death
A 17-year-old suspect is in custody related to the fatal shooting of 20-year-old Andrea Nunez early Sunday morning, and now authorities are searching for another.
Kennewick police now say the 4am shooting was gang related. After the incident, the investigation pointed towards the juvenile suspect, and a car he was traveling in was tracked to Hermiston. As the vehicle returned to the Tri-Cities, it was pulled over and the suspect captured without incident.
Police also arrested 35-year-old Maria Rachel Mendoza for rendering criminal assistance to the suspect.
Now the search is focused on Ezekiel Sanchez of Kennewick. Authorities identified the suspects and their vehicle from surveillance videos captured at multiple nearby venues.
Police did elaborate slightly on the death of Nunez, saying when found in the road she was suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police had been searching for her since January for allegedly escaping from community custody on drug-related charges.
Anyone with information about Sanchez or the case is urged to call (509)-628-0333. All leads can be confidential.