‘Asking for hope.’ 4 children beg Tri-Cities judge for mercy for their mom’s killer

One by one, the adult children of Silvestre R. Fuentes Sr. lined up Thursday to hug their father goodbye.

The family members sobbed as they tightly embraced. Then, after placing a kiss on the top of each daughter’s head, Fuentes leaned back onto his walker for support.

The 57-year-old Prosser man is going to prison for 15 years and three months for killing his wife, Graciela Gonzalez-Gomez.

Four of his kids said they have forgiven Fuentes for shooting their mom and still love him. They told Judge Cameron Mitchell they have been fasting and praying that, when it came time to sentence their father, Mitchell too would show grace and mercy on him.

Mitchell took a 10-minute recess to consider all of the arguments in the case before granting the request that could give Fuentes more time with his grandchildren before he dies.

“It comes down to the issue of what is just and what is merciful in these circumstances, and really what protects the community,” said Mitchell. “And the court takes those things into consideration and finds that a sentence at the bottom of the standard range, 123 months, is appropriate considering the issues.”

Defense attorney Michael Vander Sys pointed out that his client’s physical condition is deteriorating and he has a number of health issues.

He said by the time Fuentes is released from prison, even if sentenced to the low end of the range, he likely will not be a threat to the public.

Benton County Prosecutor Andy Miller had asked for 23 years and eight months at the top of the range.

He noted that it has been a challenging and emotional case, and said even though the family had asked for leniency, the judicial system still had to recognize that Fuentes took a human life.

Miller said the investigation revealed that Gomez was “a good woman, a good mother and a good wife.” Yet, no one really knows what she would have wanted for her husband and she’s no longer around to speak because of his actions, he added.

Miller said there was no domestic violence history with the couple, and that Fuentes had no criminal convictions before this case.

The sentence ordered by Judge Mitchell includes a mandatory term of five years for using a gun. That will be served before the clock starts on his 10-year, 3-month term for the murder.

On Thursday, Mitchell also granted the rare move of allowing Fuentes’ three daughters, a son and a son-in-law to give him a hug before he was returned to his cell in the jail.

A fourth daughter was not in the courtroom for the hearing, instead participating through videoconferencing since she has a newborn at home.

Mitchell asked jail staff and Prosecutor Miller for their thoughts on the request before issuing his decision.

“While I did impose a bottom of the standard range (sentence), it is still a substantial sentence. The court will allow family members here to individually approach and give the defendant a hug if they do so choose,” he said.

He said loved ones needed to approach Fuentes with empty hands and not try to pass something to him.

“This is actually somewhat of an extraordinary situation where the court is allowing family members to have contact with someone in custody,” said Mitchell. “I ask you to take that into consideration.”

Prosser shooting

Gomez, 51, was shot four times with a .45-caliber pistol. Two of the bullets were fired from close range at less than 1 1/2-feet away, said Miller.

The couple’s son left their 17108 N. 1083 PR NW home about 4 p.m. on Aug. 10, 2019. Both of his parents were there at the time, along with his dad’s red 1989 Ford Bronco.

The son returned five hours later that night to find his wounded mom alone and bleeding. He immediately called 911, but deputies and paramedics were unable to save her.

The son told Benton County sheriff’s investigators that his dad was not home when he found his mother, and that his dad kept a .45-caliber pistol under his pillow, according to court documents.

The pistol also was missing.

A next-door neighbor told now-retired Detective Lee Cantu that he heard three shots at 8:30 p.m., and looked out the window to see the Ford parked outside.

The neighbor said he “did not think much of the gunfire, because Fuentes Sr. is known to shoot into the air to scare off unwanted animals,” documents said.

In a later search of the family home, detectives found three .45-caliber casings — the same kind as Fuentes’ missing pistol.

A nationwide arrest warrant was issued for Fuentes and he was tracked down the following night in Union Gap, just south of Yakima, court documents said.

Shortly before his capture, Fuentes spoke over the phone with one of his daughters.

He denied killing his wife and claimed that two people broke into their house and shot Gomez. He added that a bag was put over his own head during the alleged home invasion, documents said.

Fuentes has been locked up since his Aug. 11, 2019, arrest.

He pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder with a firearm.

It was reduced from first-degree murder, which had included the allegation that he acted with premeditated intent to kill his wife.

On Thursday, Fuentes said in court that he doesn’t know what happened to his wife that night. He claimed that she was not acting herself and came at him with “bugged out” eyes, and at some point he blacked out and killed her.

He then told his children that he is remorseful for what he did, knows his actions were wrong and was ready to accept his sentence.

Forgiveness and hope

Daughter Isabel Ramos-Fuentes told the judge Thursday that it’s been a difficult 19 months for her and her siblings — not only did they lose their mother, but their father was taken away too, she said.

She said they still don’t know just what happened that night between their parents, but believe it was not planned by Fuentes because the couple still loved each other after being together 31 years.

“I know that my mom is in heaven right now and I know that she forgives him for what he did,” Ramos-Fuentes said in between tears. “Today, I’m here asking you guys for hope because I know that my dad has been really sick lately, and I know that if he gets a really high sentence, he’s not going to make it out.”

She said she has children who want to spend some years with their grandfather before he dies, but there wasn’t much hope of that happening if the judge went with the prosecution’s lengthy recommendation.

“I know deep inside he’s a good person, and I know he deeply regrets what he did,” said Ramos-Fuentes.

She said God has been testing the Christian family, and they must follow the Bible which says to forgive and to honor their parents even if something’s been done that is not right.

Another daughter, Yadira Catalan, also begged the judge for hope and said no one can truly understand their decision to forgive and continue to love their father unless they’ve lived through the same experience.

Fuentes’ daughters all said their father has changed and is “a brand new man,” who accepted what he did was wrong and was ready to face the consequences.

No matter what time the judge ordered, it’s not going to bring back their mother, the daughters said. But they still have the other half, their father, and want him to remain in their lives.

This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 5:24 PM.