Suspects in Sundberg murder linked to 2016 homicide
ROYAL CITY — Two men who are currently jailed in connection with the December 2016 homicide of Quincy resident Jill Sundberg were reportedly also involved in a double shooting that left a man dead and another injured near Royal City.
Fernando Marcos Gutierrez, 25, was previously arrested and charged as a material witness in connection with the Sundberg homicide. Another man, 26-year-old Julio Albarran Varona, is currently charged with first-degree murder, with aggravating circumstances of armed with a firearm, acting with deliberate cruelty, drive-by shooting and kidnapping, and, in the lesser, second-degree murder.
The Royal City homicide occurred in the early morning hours of Dec. 9, 2016 on state Route 26, east of state Route 262. Officers arrived at the scene and located Arturo Sosa, 28, dead in the back of a Ford Explorer. Another male in the Ford received a single gunshot wound and ultimately survived the injury.
The surviving victim was interviewed by investigators and said on the morning of the shooting he and Sosa, who lived together at the time, left their Royal City home to go to work in Othello. He said as they were traveling a vehicle pulled up behind them and the other driver started flashing the vehicle’s headlights. Thinking something was wrong with his vehicle, the victim said he pulled over and they were approached by two males. One of the males was reportedly holding a handgun, while the other was in possession of a rifle, which the surviving victim said was fired at least once, and a pistol.
The suspects, alleged to be Marcos Gutierrez and Albarran Varona, debated whether or not they wanted to put the two victims in their vehicle, but they ultimately decided to take the victim’s vehicle. One of the suspects started driving the vehicle west on SR-26 and at some point during the drive Sosa started fighting with one of the suspects. As the struggle for the suspect’s gun ensued, the driver began pointing his pistol toward the victims. The surviving victim started to fight the driver, at which point he says he and Sosa were both shot.
Investigators later interviewed Sosa’s ex-girlfriend, Eustolia Campuzano, 27, who claimed she hadn’t seen Sosa for a few months. In later interviews Campuzano explained she confided to one of her friends, identified as Paula Rodriguez Cuevas, 29, that Sosa used to “treat her badly and hit her.” Rodriguez Cuevas reportedly told her a man should beat any man who hits a woman and Campuzano asked her who “could do something like that.”
Rodriguez Cuevas allegedly later introduced Campuzano to two males at the Shady Tree RV Park, which is located just outside of George and the same location where Sundberg was abducted from. Campuzano said she spoke with a man, believed to be Marcos Gutierrez, for about 20-25 minutes and she detailed how Sosa abused her. Campuzano claims she jokingly said she wanted Sosa to be beaten up and Marcos Gutierrez went on to ask questions about Sosa, including his name, where he worked and if he had children.
Marcos Gutierrez, Albarran Varona and anther male stayed with the two females at an Othello residence the night before the murder. About 4 a.m. the next morning the males and Campuzano got into an SUV and drove to a spot on SR-26 and waited for the victim’s vehicle. Court documents indicate the surviving victim’s account of the suspect vehicle getting them to pullover was accurate and Campuzano and the other male stayed in the vehicle as the victims were shot.
Campuzano said after the shooting Marcos Gutierrez took her out of the SUV and forced her to look at Sosa’s body. He allegedly told the woman “You talk and the second person you see is your son.” Rodriguez Cuevas told investigators she stayed at the Othello residence during the shooting and when Campuzano and the males returned Campuzano told her “that it was done and Sosa was dead.”
“Rodriguez stated she started crying as well and the male pulled out a pistol and put it to Rodriguez’s head and told her to stay quiet and don’t talk to anyone about it. He added if she did he’d kill her and her family,” wrote a detective.
The two women have been charged with first-degree assault in connection with the incident. Charges have not yet been filed against Marcos Gutierrez and Albarran Varona in the Royal City homicide.