1 person shot in Richland + Benton deputies find stolen vehicles during gun threat call
It was a busy night for Tri-Cities law enforcement Friday with one person hurt in a shooting in Richland and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office recovered several stolen cars.
About 8:45 p.m. police were called to the Richland Mobile Home Park for reports of a shooting. Officers said multiple calls came in reporting a man had been shot near the intersection of Apollo Boulevard and Mercury Drive.
By the time officers arrived, the 27-year-old victim already had been taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, according to Richland police.
Police closed the roadway for several hours to investigate and collect evidence. They believe the shooting was not random, and may have been drug related.
Early Saturday morning they arrested the suspect with the help of Sunnyside police, the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office and Toppenish police.
Richland police identified the suspected shooter as 20-year-old Jose Ricardo Chavez-Negrete. He was booked into the Benton County jail on suspicion of first-degree assault, first-degree robbery and unlawful possession of a gun, according to jail records.
Stolen vehicles
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office recovered five stolen vehicles in two separate calls on Friday.
When deputies responded to a call about a man being threatened with a gun in the Finley area on Friday, they found several stolen vehicles at the location.
The suspect was arrested, and a search warrant was executed. Deputies found four stolen vehicles, real and fake guns and other dangerous weapons.
The identity of that suspect has not been released.
In a separate incident overnight, deputies spotted a stolen vehicle being driven in Kennewick.
The suspects pulled into a driveway and then ran away, and the vehicle was recovered.
The sheriff’s office said that the owners of all five vehicles have been contacted.
This story was originally published April 22, 2023 at 10:28 AM.
