Teen sought in Quincy shooting

QUINCY — A Quincy teen allegedly shot and killed another teenager because he believed the victim broke into his house.

Grant County prosecutors charged Noel Cardenas, 17, of Quincy, as an adult in Grant County Superior Court with first-degree murder, first-degree assault and drive-by-shooting. A warrant has been issued for the suspect’s arrest.

On Feb. 25 a Quincy Police Department officer was driving north on Third Avenue Southwest when he reported hearing gunfire. The officer said he saw a male by an alley between I Street Southwest and J Street Southwest with an apparent rifle.

The suspect, alleged to be Cardenas, reportedly fired three additional shots, one of which struck and fatally wounded 17-year-old Jahleel Munnings. The officer said two more shots were fired, one of which struck Luis Nava Trujillo, 20, of Quincy, in the shoulder, according to court records.

The officer spotted Cardenas hop into a Chevrolet Malibu, which Cardenas’ mother later reported as stolen, take off and turn south onto Seventh Avenue Southwest. The officer followed the vehicle, but reportedly could not find which way the driver went.

Back at the scene of the shooting, officers reportedly found four black shotgun shells and one red shotgun shell at the scene of the shooting. Cardenas’ mother told police her son had taken the Malibu without her permission. She said about 20 minutes after her son took the car, Cardenas called her and told her to report the car as stolen. She claimed Cardenas told her he had shot someone after he had a gun pulled on him.

Nava Trujillo, who was initially transported to Quincy Valley Medical Center and later airlifted to a Spokane area hospital for treatment, stated he was walking with Munnings and they were passed by a green car, believed to Cardenas’ mother’s vehicle, two separate time. He claimed the second time the car passed the driver went across Third Avenue Southwest to in front of where he and Munnings were walking.

“Nava Trujillo and Munnings took a few more steps then Cardenas came running out of the alley towards them with a shotgun in his hand. Nava Trujillo yelled to Munnings ‘watch out.’ Cardenas yelled ‘you're the one that broke into my house’ and shot Munnings two times,” wrote a officer. “Nava Trujillo said Munnings got shot the first time in his lower left cheek area and didn’t see where the second shot was at.”

Nava Trujillo told police he thought the shooter was Cardenas and explained that about a month prior to the shooting the suspect accused Munnings of breaking into his house. Cardenas’ younger brother told police he had seen his brother with a shotgun before the shooting and upon hearing about the incident he went into his brother’s room and checked for the shotgun, but the weapon was gone.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.