EPHRATA — Testimony in the case of a pair of Royal City brothers, who allegedly fired shots at a car full of people in Moses Lake after a scuffle involving one of the brothers at a recreational marijuana store, seems to indicate the scuffle and shooting were a result of rival gang affiliations.

Jesus Torres, 22, of Royal City, and Jonathan Torres, 20, also of Royal City, are on trial in connection with a shooting in Moses Lake that left a woman with a gunshot wound to the head following a fight at Apex Cannabis on July 28, 2017. The defendants opted for a bench trial and their cases are being heard by Judge John Antosz.

On Wednesday there was considerable testimony from police officers and deputies who were directly involved in the investigation into the shooting and the apprehension of the two brothers at a residence in Royal City in the early morning hours of July 29, 2017. One of the deputies called by the prosecution was Deputy Korey Judkins, who offered testimony on the gang affiliations of the two brothers. Judkins had previously worked for the Royal City Police Department before he was brought on by the sheriff’s office and said in the past he had investigated both Jesus and Jonathan for gang-related crimes.

Judkins testified the Torres brothers are members of a Sureño gang and said he had observed Jonathan wearing or displaying blue clothing or bandannas and flashing gang signs in the past. The deputy said in addition to Sureño gang members in Royal City, the city also has a number of Norteño gang members, who are typically associated with the color red and are rivals to Sureño gang members. In response, the prosecution offered information from both Jesus and Jonathan’s criminal histories with regard to assault convictions that were perpetrated against rival gang members.

The testimony about gang affiliations is significant because it reinforces testimony that was offered during the trial last week. The victim in the shooting testified that on the day of the incident she went to Apex Cannabis with another female and a male. The three were already in Apex when Jesus entered the business and a store clerk testified the moods of the two females in the group changed when he entered.

The male in the group, who was the shooting victim’s boyfriend at the time, was wearing a red shirt that day and was identified in court as a gang member. The two women testified the man said something to Jesus that related to gang territory. In video surveillance Jesus can be seen approaching the man, who threw the first punch. The two were involved in a brief scuffle inside the business.

Jesus and the group of three were kicked out of the business and Jesus allegedly got into the passenger seat of a vehicle that Jonathan was driving. The group of three got into a vehicle as well and were reportedly followed by the Torres brothers. Prosecutors believe it was Jesus who fired at least seven shots, one of which hit the female driver of the car in the back of the head, at the victim vehicle. The victim was immediately taken to the hospital and survived the gunshot wound.