Police ID Tri-Cities couple killed at home. Son believed dead after fiery police shootout

Police identified the couple found shot inside their Gum Street home as longtime Tri-Cities educator Vickie Kaufman and her husband, Daniel.

Kennewick police also confirmed that Ryan Kaufman, 43, is suspected of setting a pair of fires in two Kennewick union halls this week.

But investigators stopped short of saying that Ryan Kaufman is a suspect in their deaths.

According to public records, neighbors and a 911 call, Ryan Kaufman is Daniel and Vickie Kaufman’s son.

While investigators have linked the deaths of the Kennewick couple to a police shooting with a suspect in West Richland, the suspect has not been officially identified as Ryan Kaufman.

The driver was badly burned when the truck caught fire during the police chase. Benton County Coroner Bill Leach said the identification is pending a dental comparison by a forensic pathologist.

Kennewick investigators also have not said when they believe Vickie, 68, and Dan Kaufman, 75, died and have asked for the public’s help.

They want neighbors on the 4300 block of Gum Street to check their surveillance cameras for people coming and going in the neighborhood between 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 25.

A fire also was started inside the Kaufmans’ house, Kennewick police confirmed on Friday.

Investigators are still trying to piece together the mayhem believed caused by Ryan Kaufman, a longtime electrical worker, on Wednesday morning, starting in Finley and east Kennewick and ending 20 miles away in West Richland.

Benton County deputies were first called just before 4 a.m. to a break-in on East Finley Road home, where a man was shot and another was found dead inside a burning home.

Their neighbor, Ryan Kaufman, was the suspect. His truck was missing and his house also burned to the ground.

Emil “Bob” Zlatich Jr., 77, the longtime former owner of Zip’s by the Cable Bridge restaurant, is believed to be the man who died. His son was wounded.

Benton County deputies are investigating those crimes. An autopsy for Bob Zlatich Jr. was expected today.

Kennewick police confirmed Friday that Kaufman is suspected of breaking in and setting fires in two International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers buildings in Kennewick a short time after the shooting and arson fires in Finley.

Kennewick firefighters were first called to 114 N. Edison Street at 4:47 a.m. They were able to quickly put out the blaze.

Three hours later, officials discovered a fire also had been started at the IBEW training center at 8340 West Gage Blvd.

Anyone with information on any of the incidents is asked to call the non-emergency dispatch number at 509-628-0333 and reference case numbers 21--34537 or 21-34544 for the double murder or 21-34573 for the arson.

West Richland standoff

Police spent the hours after the Finley fires searching for the pickup that was reportedly tied to Ryan Kaufman. Officers spotted it driving into West Richland with flames coming from the truck.

After the pickup pulled off the road on the 4300 block of Van Giesen Street, several shots were fired from inside the truck and four officers returned fire.

The Regional Special Investigations Unit called in to investigate the officer-involved shooting released the names of the four officers on Friday.

They are Benton County deputies Ivan Hernandez and Elias Perez, Pasco police Officer David Dillsworth and West Richland police Officer Daniel Flores.

The Special Investigations Unit uses detectives from other law enforcement agencies in Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties to do independent investigations.

This story was originally published August 27, 2021 at 11:40 AM.