Attempted murder charge dropped
EPHRATA — An attempted murder charge was dropped against a second man involved in a July 2009 drive-by shooting.
EPHRATA — An attempted murder charge was dropped against a second man involved in a July 2009 drive-by shooting.
Saul Olivares, the shooter, pleaded guilty to drive-by shooting. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss charges of attempted first degree murder, riot and unlawful possession of a firearm as part of the agreement, according to court records.
Prosecutor Angus Lee blamed the change on a lack of cooperation from the victim and the witnesses, according to a statement.
“We made numerous attempts to contact them and seek their cooperation, but they refused to respond to mail or phone calls in preparation of trial. We confirmed that they were aware of our efforts to seek their cooperation but still chose not to cooperate,” Lee stated. “Based on the fact that the victim had left the state and refused to return to cooperate with prosecution it became necessary to accept a plea of guilty to drive-by shooting and secure a felony conviction and a prison sentence against the defendant.”
Grant County Superior Court Judge Evan Sperline sentenced Olivares to the maximum end of the sentencing range, two years and three months. Olivares, 21, Moses Lake, had prior convictions for burglary in the second degree and theft in the second degree.
Olivares was riding in the passenger’s seat of a black Dodge pickup truck, when he fired four to six shots toward the victim and a car, according to a Moses Lake police report. One of the shots grazed the victim’s face.
A police officer spotted the truck driving on the wrong side of Central Avenue. After following it, the officer stopped the vehicle, according to a police report.
When the six people in the truck got out, they started walking toward a house and the officer ordered them to lay on the ground. A patrol car video camera filmed Olivares getting out of the passenger’s side of the vehicle, according to the police report. Police found a gun a short distance from where the truck was stopped.
Olivares admitted to shooting the gun, stating he wanted revenge on a rival gang. He believed the people living at the Washington Street residence were connected to a gang responsible for an alleged drive-by shooting, where his brother was present, and a fight he had with two gang members in front of a Moses Lake store.
The truck’s driver, Erik C. Olivares, pleaded guilty to assault in the second degree in January. He was sentenced to eight months in jail.
The Columbia Basin Herald was unable to reach the victim.