Arraignment rescheduled in Othello double murder
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 1 month AGO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | February 4, 2021 1:00 AM
RITZVILLE — An Othello man, illegally in the U.S. and charged in the murders of two Othello women, will be arraigned at 11 a.m. Friday in Adams County Superior Court in Ritzville.
Mauricio Nava-Garibay, 28, is charged with first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree murder, without premeditation, both with domestic violence enhancements. He is accused of murdering Dora Elia Martinez, 57, and her daughter Guadalupe Martinez, 30, on the night of Jan. 27 in their home on East Cypress Street in Othello. The bodies were discovered the next morning in Dora Martinez’ car in the 2200 block of West Charla Lane.
Official identification of the victims was announced Wednesday by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, after an examination by the King County Medical Examiner’s Office. The ACSO also announced the arraignment date. It previously was scheduled for Monday.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged an immigration detainer with the jail Friday.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Road closures, roundabout, mean construction season underway
EPHRATA — The grass is starting to turn green, the trees are starting to leaf out, construction crews are starting to build roundabouts – hey, it’s spring. At least one roundabout project is in its final phase, held over from fall 2025. The intersection of State Route 282 and Nat Washington Way will be closed the week of April 6 to allow crews to install permanent lights. “This really is the final (closure),” wrote Grant County Administrator Tom Gaines in a media release. “The roundabout will close at 6 a.m. Monday, and we plan to reopen by Friday, possibly sooner if the work finishes early.”
Ybarra announces run for Washington Senate
QUINCY — State Representative Alex Ybarra, R-Quincy, has announced his candidacy for the Washington Senate. If he’s elected, he would replace Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, who announced her retirement in March.
Othello Community Museum to open April 25
OTHELLO — With a couple of new exhibits, a new heating-cooling system, rearranged displays and a thorough cleaning, the Othello Community Museum will open for the summer April 25. The goal, said Molly Popchock, museum board secretary, is to operate for a full season.