2 teens charged with murder in gang-related New Year’s Eve killing in Richland
Two teens are accused of a gang-related New Year’s Eve killing outside a Richland apartment complex.
Richland police announced that Felipe Manjares, 19, of Sunnyside, and Rafael Torres-Topete, 17, of Kennewick, are accused of killing Michael Castoreno outside the Columbia Park Apartments.
He was shot several times and died at the scene.
Detectives tracked Manjares to Kingfisher, Okla., where he was arrested on May 5 with the help of a U.S. Marshals fugitive task force and Oklahoma law enforcement agencies.
He is awaiting extradition back to Washington state. His arrest came about two weeks after a $1 million arrest warrant was issued for charges of premeditated first-degree murder.
Prosecutors say using a gun could add time to his sentence if he’s found guilty.
His alleged accomplice, Torres-Topete, is already in juvenile detention in connection with a robbery committed days before the shooting. He is charged as an adult with premeditated first-degree murder, along with the aggravating factor of using a gun.
Police have arrested two others in connection with the shooting. Manjares’ mother, Rosalina Guzman, was arrested in Oklahoma. She is suspected of helping him.
And Manjares’ brother, a 16-year-old, was arrested by Sunnyside police on Thursday for illegally possessing a firearm. Richland police didn’t say what his connection was to the shooting, but mentioned that he may be facing more charges.
Castoreno’s shooting
Richland police have been searching for a group of teens who confronted Castoreno in the middle of the apartment complex about 8 p.m.
The group allegedly asked what his gang affiliations were, and when Castoreno answered, one teen pulled a gun out and began firing, according to court documents.
He was shot four times and left for dead as the group ran.
A police dog search led police to an apartment that had been tied to a separate investigation into recent robberies in the area.
Police also were able to tie shell casings found at the scene to a series of shootings in Mabton, Sunnyside and Yakima County. At least one of those shootings was tied to a group of brothers, one of them being Manjares, a known gang member.
The shooting ended a violent year for Benton County, which had a record setting 19 homicides.