MLPD responds to Friday-evening drive-by
R. HANS MILLER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year AGO
Moses Lake Police Department officers and assisting agencies responded to a drive-by shooting Friday evening that led to the death of a 14-year-old boy.
JOEL MARTIN/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Managing Editor Rob Miller is a 4-year U.S. Army veteran who grew up in Western Montana in a community about the size of Soap Lake. An honors graduate of Texas State University, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Brandee, and their three dogs, Draco, Pepper and Cinnamon. He has one son, William. During his free time, he enjoys photography, video games, reading and working on the house he and his wife bought in Ephrata. He is passionate about the First Amendment and educating communities. | March 22, 2025 6:55 PM
MOSES LAKE – Moses Lake Police Department officers have responded to a drive-by shooting on Loop Drive in Moses Lake.
“I can confirm there were a total of five victims; one is deceased,” said MLPD Cpt. Jeff Sursely. “He’s a 14-year-old male from Moses Lake. The other four are stable.” The victim reportedly died at the scene.
The other victims suffered non-life-threatening wounds and were transported to Samaritan Hospital for treatment. The shooting was reported at about 9:15 p.m. and the scene was secured and locked down for hours while investigators worked. The scene was still being processed as of 7 a.m. Saturday. The Washington State Crime Lab is assisting investigators.
A vehicle thought to have been used in the incident has been located and has been seized as evidence. No suspects are reported in custody as of Saturday morning.
Anyone with information about the shooting may contact the Moses Lake Police Department and reference case number 25ML03882.
Moses Lake School District Director of Public Relations Ryan Shannon said the school district is prepared to help students and staff through the loss of their classmate and student.
"The school district does have counselors and other resources that we can and will make accessible at school for anybody to speak with or reach out to, and that includes students and staff," Shannon said.
Anyone needing to speak with a counselor, whether student or staff, can speak with their teachers or campus administration to access those services.
After activity was reported near Home Depot in Moses Lake Saturday, including witnesses reporting a tactical response vehicle and flash bangs being detonated at a nearby home, it was unclear if the incident was associated with the shooting or was a separate incident. Sursely declined to comment on the matter Saturday afternoon, saying comments could jeopardize an active investigation.
Sursely said the goal is to ensure justice for the victims of the shooting.
The Columbia Basin Herald is monitoring the situation and will update this story as more information becomes available. This article has been updated throughout.
ARTICLES BY R. HANS MILLER
Court cases in March 2025 shooting death of Moses Lake teen moving forward
EPHRATA — Jose D. Beltran Rodriguez, 21, of Moses Lake, and Matthew Gabriel Valdez, 19, also of Moses Lake, remain in custody at the Grant County jail after being arrested in connection with a March 21, 2025, drive-by shooting in Moses Lake.
Sentencing hearing set in 2022 Moses Lake murder case
EPHRATA — Juan Gastelum, the suspect in the March 2022 killing of Yanira Cedillos, changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on March 3. He is now scheduled for an April 28 sentencing hearing. According to court documentation, Gastelum, 32, of Hermiston, Ore., pleaded guilty to Murder in the Second Degree with Sexual Motivation. The minimum sentence Gastelum may receive under the law is two years in prison, but the maximum is life imprisonment and up to a $50,000 fine. However, the sentencing hearing is under Special Set Sentencing, an option under Washington state law which allows adjustments to sentencing if a suspect pleads guilty.
Court case in Nov. 2025 Moses Lake shooting moving forward
EPHRATA — The trial into the shooting of a 23 year old Moses Lake man is progressing through Grant County Superior Court. Darwin Nahun Tejada Martinez, 29, of Seattle is on trial facing a single charge of Assault in the First Degree after investigators say he shot the victim in a Nov. 25, 2025, incident.