Cardenas makes first court appearance
Richard Byrd/Columbia Basin Herald Quincy murder and assault suspect Noel Cardenas, 17, of Quincy, sits in Grant County Superior Court Monday afternoon.
EPHRATA — Murder and assault suspect Noel Cardenas’ bail will remain set at $1 million.
Grant County prosecutors previously charged Cardenas, 17, of Quincy, as an adult in Grant County Superior Court with first-degree murder, first-degree assault and drive-by-shooting. Cardenas, who was taken into custody Sunday near George, is accused of shooting and killing 17-year-old Jahleel Munnings and shooting and injuring 20-year-old Luis Nava Trujillo in late February.
During a hearing on Monday, Grant County Superior Court Judge John Antosz did not change Cardenas’ previously set bail of $1 million. Chief Deputy Prosecutor Alan White told the court Cardenas has nine previous misdemeanor convictions in juvenile court and two previous felony convictions in juvenile court, one for residential burglary in February 2016, and another for unlawful possession of a firearm in March 2016.
A Quincy Police Department officer was on patrol Feb. 25 and reported seeing a male holding a rifle by an alley between I Street Southwest and J Street Southwest, moments after hearing gunfire. The officer stated the suspect, alleged to be Cardenas, fired three additional shots, one of which struck and killed Munnings. Two more shots were allegedly fired, with one of the bullets striking Nava Trujillo in the shoulder.
Cardenas allegedly hopped into a Chevrolet Malibu, which was later reported as stolen by his mother, and was able to drive out of the officer’s sight. Nava Trujillo claimed he was walking with Munnings and they were passed by a green car, believed to be Cardenas’ mother’s vehicle, two separate times.
He told police the second time the car passed the driver went to in front of where he and Munnings were walking. It was then, according to Nava Trujillo, that Cardenas came running out of an alley with a shotgun in tow. The suspect allegedly yelled “you're (Munnings) the one that broke into my house” and proceeded to open fire at the teen.
Nava Trujillo stated he believed the shooter was Cardenas and a month prior to the shooting Cardenas had accused Munnings of breaking into his house. Cardenas’ mother told police her son had taken her vehicle without her permission and about 20 minutes later he called her and told her to report the vehicle as stolen. She said he told her he had shot someone after he had a gun pulled on him.
Cardenas will be back in court on Monday for his arraignment.
Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.