Update: Teen accused of shooting man carrying a vacuum in a Kennewick alley
An 18-year-old is accused of shooting a man carrying a vacuum cleaner in the foot during a confrontation in a Kennewick alley Thursday.
Mateo I. Rodriguez, 18, made his first appearance in Benton County Superior Court on Friday afternoon.
He is being held on suspicion of first-degree assault after the shooting near West Fourth Place, court documents said. Judge David Petersen set bail at $250,000.
Court documents reveal more details about what happened.
Rodriguez’s parents told investigators he had been acting differently lately, talking about gangs. They believed he was suffered from some mental health issues.
Court documents don’t say if Rodriguez has any gang affiliation.
Security video from the Kennewick Housing Authority shows Rodriguez running, walking and sneaking around the apartment buildings on the 1800 block of West Fourth Place that afternoon.
He then turned toward the pedestrian pathway where a 36-year-old man was hauling a vacuum cleaner.
The victim said Rodriguez stepped out and started talking about being a gang member, court documents said. He then allegedly fired three shots, two of them hitting the man in the foot.
The victim ran to the nearby City Market on the 400 block of Rainier Street, where an employee called police.
While officers were searching the neighborhood for a shooter dressed in black, Rodriguez’s parents called police because they believed their son was involved.
They said their son ran into the house shortly after the shooting and asked his father if he’d heard the shooting. His father replied that he hadn’t and asked if Rodriguez was involved.
While Rodriguez denied it, he allegedly began calling friends, then changed his clothes and left.
Police spotted Rodriguez going into his brother’s garage on Fifth Avenue, less than a block away from the convenience store.
Officers surrounded the area, and used K9 Ivan to track Rodriguez to the yard of a nearby home.
At the time, Rodriguez denied shooting the man and didn’t know who did.
This story was originally published June 5, 2025 at 3:50 PM.