Alleged shooters lead police on midday chase

by Melissa Sánchez
Yakima Herald-Republic
Alleged shooters lead police on midday chase
GORDON KING/Yakima Herald-Republic
Yakima police hold two men arrested Nov. 5, 2009 in connection with an early afternoon shooting at South Second Street and East Race Street. Two officers hold the men as they wait for an eyewitness to identify the suspects. Just after the shooting police believe the suspects drove east and abandoned their car near Washington Middle School and ran west to a house where the two suspects kicked in a door and tried to hide before being found by police. During their investigation police found the car as well as shoes, shirt and a handgun they are convinced belong to the suspects, said Yakima Police Capt. Rod Light. The victim was taken to the hospital with what appear to be non-life-threatening injuries, said Light.

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YAKIMA, Wash. -- Police say two California felons shot a Yakima man in the leg, then led officers on a car chase before breaking into a southeast Yakima home and threatening to kill a woman there Thursday afternoon.

Within 40 minutes of the shooting, authorities arrested the two men -- ages 20 and 27, both of Turlock, Calif. -- on pending charges of assault, burglary, firearm possession and harassment.

This is what police say happened in what they are calling a gang-related incident:

About 12:40 p.m., somebody called 9-1-1 to report gunfire and several people running in the area of South Third and Pine streets, according to Yakima police Capt. Greg Copeland.

Officers spotted a dark blue Honda Civic that witnesses said was involved in a drive-by shooting -- but its driver sped away when they tried to stop it, police said. A loaded pistol was later found along the chase route.

Near South Eighth and Race streets, two men ditched the Civic, heading west on foot, authorities said.

Officers followed them into the 600 block of South Seventh Street and began knocking on doors, searching for the men.

At one home, a nervous-looking woman told police that nobody was there, said gang unit Sgt. Erik Hildebrand.

"We left her and then realized there's nowhere else they could have gone," Hildebrand said later.

So the officers returned, and the woman let them look around inside. They found the two men hiding in a bathroom.

Later the woman told officers the men threatened to kill her if she called police. Police said she did not know either man.

One man was shirtless, having apparently discarded his shirt to avoid being recognized, Hildebrand added.

Meanwhile medics were treating a gunshot victim in the 300 block of South Fourth Street, according to the release.

Yakima resident Irvis Pineda, 18, told police he was shot in the leg while walking, Copeland said. Pineda is a known gang associate, authorities said.

Witnesses to the shooting identified the two suspects, Copeland wrote. The men are believed to be involved in gangs.



Commentsicon2
Posted by Nick at 11/06/09 04:50AM        Post ID#: #17196

Oh, good. Now, we are getting activity from California gang members too. Well, we really know it won't be long until we become nationally recognized as the new international junior capitol of Hispanic gangs here, (The original and largest area being California, where they first got a foothold) cartels included.

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Posted by Starman at 11/06/09 07:39AM        Post ID#: #17212

As if we didn't have enough "dirtbags" of our own. I wonder how much this will cost the taxpayers? And the intellectuals in charge want to close Guantanamo Bay? It should be enlarged and be staffed by gaurds with the morals and ethics of the people held captive.

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Posted by huh at 11/06/09 08:20AM        Post ID#: #17223

Easy with the term "intellectual", we don't want to insult those with half a brain. Those in charge obviously don't qualify.

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Posted by huh at 11/06/09 08:21AM        Post ID#: #17224

I should have quantified that by adding that those in charge don't even have half a brain.

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Posted by ForYourInfo at 11/06/09 08:41AM        Post ID#: #17228

We want to ship gangsters out of our area with out dealing with the underlaying problem. Well this is what happens when you do just that. They relocate, Looks like Turlock CA beat us to it and now we're taking them in.

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Posted by Aurelius at 11/06/09 08:57AM        Post ID#: #17231

These guys are such idiots they make the "American Gangsta" look bad. The picture is certainly not the image you see on a magaazine..

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Posted by bellarosea at 11/06/09 11:44AM        Post ID#: #17247

i love (well not for the woman whose house they broke in) how they run and hide like little girly girls you know i listened to an item on the news about citizens being trained to spot cetain things to help the police come on people these are not "real" men (and girls) we are dealing with--we out number them by far i know the old thing "were is a cop when you call" but that is no reason to sit by and not do anything but cry. there is not much i can or would do considering most may have weapons but intimidation works look em in eyes let em know we are watching and will not tolerate anymore instead of putting our heads in the sand this is part of the problem ever notice how they stare at you i do and i no longer look away. may not solve all but we the people have a part in this . first if we were not suppling the demand wonder wwhat would happen hum we need to stop cuddling with programs people who just don't or have no desire to stop bad behavior while the rest of us pay out of our own programs that are going to the crapper.

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Posted by perspective77 at 11/06/09 12:18PM        Post ID#: #17255

What has happened to Yakima?? Me and my wife were married there 40 years ago. Loved Yakima. After being gone for all these years, we visited two weeks ago. What a pit! You can't believe in evolution if you see what's happened to that once great small city in a few years. Things are downhill and getting worse. Two shootings the night before we arrived. The city center is run down and major stores are gone. It is dirty and overrun with gang-bangers and addicts. Come on people, get control or your once fine city or it will be in total ruin in a few short years.

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Posted by Jay at 11/06/09 12:20PM        Post ID#: #17256

Nick, nothing new about Cali gang members. Many of the ones locally have family in Cali- northern and southern parts of the state. Many gang fugatives that run from the law go to Cali to hide (or Mexico). The gangsters travel around way more than one would think. Especially around the state.

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Posted by rheitzm at 11/06/09 12:47PM        Post ID#: #17260

Execute them and charge their dirtbag families for the cost of the bullet. The Chinese have some good ideas.

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