'I thought I was already dead' Surviving victim testifies in Sosa murder trial
Emry Dinman/Columbia Basin Herald Jose Rafael Cano Barrientos, sobbing, buries his head in his hands shortly after prosecutors ask him to identify in a photograph the mutilated body of his friend and roommate Arturo Sosa. The presiding judge called for a short break while Barrientos collected himself.
Emry Dinman/Columbia Basin Herald Fernando Marcos Gutierrez faces charges of, among others, kidnapping and murder in the late-2016 death of Arturo Sosa. Behind him, Jose Rafael Cano Barrientos, pictured left, who was kidnapped along with Sosa and survived a gunshot wound to the chest, looks on.
Emry Dinman/Columbia Basin Herald Gustavo Tapia Rodriguez walks across the courtroom Monday. He is facing charges of, among others, kidnapping and murder in the case of Arturo Sosa. Tapia Rodrguez is already serving a life sentence after being convicted of murder in another case that concluded earlier this year.
Emry Dinman/Columbia Basin Herald Gustavo Tapia Rodriguez, pictured center, smiles as he looks down at the table in front of his co-defendant’s lawyer.
EPHRATA — The surviving victim of a December 2016 kidnapping and murder testified in open court Monday in front of the two men he said shot him and killed his friend, Arturo Sosa.
Jose Rafael Cano Barrientos appeared in court well-trimmed and tailored, staring down at his steepled hands while he recounted in hushed tones how, on that frozen morning, he and his roommate Arturo Sosa had gotten into his car and began driving to work at Eldorado Stone, an artificial stone veneer manufacturer which at the time had a facility in Royal City.
He described how, driving on state Route 26 when a Chevy Tahoe following close behind began flashing its high beams. Concerned that the car’s occupants needed assistance, he pulled over.
That’s when two armed men — a fat man and a skinny man, Barrientos would tell police — got out of the pursuing vehicle, approached both the driver and passenger side doors, pointed guns at him and Sosa, and told them to get out of the car, Barrientos told the court.
That fat man, prosecutors allege, was Gustavo Tapia Rodriguez, while the skinny man was allegedly Julio Ceasar Albarran Varona. Fernando Marcos Gutierrez, Tapia Rodriguez’ co-defendant, allegedly stayed behind in the Tahoe along with Sosa’s ex-wife Eustolia Campuzano, according to law enforcement. Prosecutors allege that the kidnapping was spurred after Campuzano told the kidnappers that Sosa had abused her during their marriage.
At first, Barrientos said, he and Sosa were guided between the vehicles and onto their knees, heads bent, much like Quincy mother of four Jill Sundberg would be positioned before her execution-style murder two weeks later. But unlike Sundberg, who was kidnapped and killed in a remote parking lot far away from potential witnesses, Barrientos said that his kidnappers were made nervous by the amount of traffic along the highway at that hour.
Instead, Barrientos said he and Sosa were stuffed into the backseat of Barrientos’ vehicle along with Tapia Rodriguez, while Albarran Varona got into the driver’s seat and took off. Barrientos was forced to sit on top of his child’s car seat.
As Barrientos testified, his mother began to sob in the courthouse stands until she was able to choke back her tears with the help of Barrientos’ wife, who was also in attendance.
Then, as the car was driving west along state Route 26, Barrientos said Sosa grabbed for Tapia Rodriguez’ gun. In the struggle, Barrientos said he saw Albarran Varona turn around in the driver’s seat and point a handgun at Sosa.
Barrientos said he attempted to place Albarran Varona in a chokehold, but relinquished after his hand was badly bitten. When Barrientos’ hold slackened, he said he was shot by the driver just below the collar bone. Barrientos said he slumped over onto the console between the front seats, but not before Tapia Rodriguez allegedly shot Sosa several times in the head, killing him instantly.
The kidnappers then allegedly pulled the car over and fled the scene. Barrientos said he managed to dial 911. As first responders arrived on the scene, Barrientos was fighting for his life, distraught over the loss of his friend and roommate.
“I just managed to save myself to take care of my children,” Barrientos said through a court-appointed interpreter. It took him several tries to get the sentence out as he choked back tears.
Barrientos was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition, in a daze, and he said that every time he opened his eyes he was in a new place.
“I was very sleepy, very cold,” Barrientos said. “I thought I was already dead.”
Along with Barrientos’ wife and mother, family members of Jill Sundberg were also in attendance, and told the Columbia Basin Herald that they were committed to observing the Sosa case to its conclusion. Tapia Rodriguez was sentenced to life in prison in March for the kidnapping and murder of Sundberg and is currently serving a life sentence for that crime.
It was during preparations for the Sundberg trial that Albarran Varona agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors in which he would receive an 18-year prison sentence in exchange for his full cooperation in both the Sundberg and Sosa cases. He is expected to testify today.
Emry Dinman can be reached via email at edinman@columbiabasinherald.com.