Drive-by victim dies; homicide charges planned
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years, 3 months AGO
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | November 7, 2023 5:18 PM
MOSES LAKE — A Moses Lake man wounded in a drive-by shooting Sunday has died, according to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office.
The GCSO announced the death of Dominick D. Hernandez, 18, Tuesday in a 6:30 a.m. statement.
Hernandez was driving north on State Route 17 on Sunday afternoon with his passenger Justin I. Wilson, also 18, of Moses Lake, when he was shot by the driver of another vehicle, Sergio Miguel Herrera, 20, of Moses Lake, according to court documents. Hernandez’s vehicle crashed and rolled on its roof, according to witnesses.
Hernandez sustained a gunshot wound to the head, according to Grant County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kyle Foreman. Hernandez was transported by air to Kadlec Medical Center in Kennewick, where he was put on life support, according to court documents. Wilson, who was shot in the shoulder, was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane, where he underwent surgery.
Higuera was arrested following a high-speed chase on SR 17, according to the GCSO. He was arraigned Monday on two counts of first-degree assault and one count of drive-by shooting, according to county records. One of those assault charges will now be amended to homicide, according to Grant County Prosecutor Kevin McRae.
Following his arrest, Higuera identified himself to GCSO Deputy Brad Poldevart as a member of the South Side Locos gang, according to court documents. Higuera told officers he had seen Hernandez flash a handgun at him and shot at Hernandez’s vehicle in self-defense to try to get Hernandez to back off. He did not intend to shoot Hernandez or Wilson, he said.
An update on Wilson’s condition was not available at press time Tuesday.
Joel Martin may be reached via email at [email protected].
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Space Burger booth open March 13-15
MOSES LAKE — Those who can’t wait for the Grant County Fair can get their Space Burger fix next weekend, according to an announcement from the Lioness Club of Moses Lake. The iconic Grant County sandwiches will be available at the Grant County Fairgrounds March 13-15, according to the announcement. There is no admission fee to get into the fairgrounds that weekend.
SENIOR EVENTS: March 2026
COLUMBIA BASIN — Plays, art shows, auctions and more await seniors in the Columbia Basin this month. Here are some opportunities to get out and about in March.
Valentine’s Day cards flood Brookdale Hearthstone with love
MOSES LAKE — Residents at Brookdale Hearthstone Assisted Living in Moses Lake got Valentine’s Day greetings from across the country last month. “I believe that the only states we have not received (cards from) yet are Vermont and Maine,” Lifestyle Director Imelda Broyles said Feb. 24. “We keep receiving new cards every single day. They have not stopped. My residents are in awe with every single one of the cards that we’ve been receiving.” The Hearts Across America project started as a way for children in school classrooms to exchange Valentine’s Day cards with classes in other states or even countries, but the idea has expanded to senior living facilities, according to the project’s social media.