Suspect in gang-related killing returned to Tri-Cities. His mom is in a cell of her own
The Sunnyside teen accused of a New Year’s Eve killing at a Richland apartment complex has been brought back to Benton County after months on the run. And his mother is in a cell of her own for helping him.
Felipe Manjares, 19, and Rafael Torres-Topete are accused of killing Michael Castoreno, 21, at the Columbia Park apartments in Richland in what investigators have described as a gang-related shooting.
Manjares was arrested in Kingsfisher, Okla., on May 5 with the help of the U.S. Marshals fugitive task force after a nationwide warrant for his arrest was issued in April.
He was extradited and booked into the Benton County jail around 11 a.m. Thursday, and entered a plea of not guilty on Friday. He attended the court appearance remotely from the jail and was shackled.
Manjares is expected back in court in early August, and could see a trial begin as early as this fall.
He is being held on $1 million bail on a charge of premeditated first-degree murder with a deadly weapon enhancement for using a gun. Prosecutors say using a gun could add time to his sentence if he’s found guilty.
His alleged accomplice, Torres-Topete, is already in juvenile detention in connection with a robbery committed days before the shooting. He is charged as an adult with premeditated first-degree murder, along with the aggravating factor of using a gun.
Police also arrested two members of Manjares’ family in connection with the shooting.
His mother, Rosalina Guzman, was arrested in Oklahoma. She is suspected of helping him. And Manjares’ 16-year-old brother was arrested by Sunnyside police in May for illegally possessing a firearm.
Guzman has been charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance. She was extradited back at the same time. Her bail was set at $250,000. She also entered a not guilty plea.
Guzman’s boyfriend, Valentin Sanchez, also was charged with 1st degree rendering criminal assistance. He was arrested May 12. His bail was also set at $250,000. The apartment that the teens had been at was allegedly the home of Sanchez’s sister.
His brother accepted a plea deal on July 11 for first-degree rendering criminal assistance under 18 and second-degree unlawful gun possession under 18. He was sentenced to two months in the juvenile detention center and one year probation.
New Year’s Eve shooting
Richland police had been searching for a group of teens who confronted Castoreno in the middle of the apartment complex about 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
The group allegedly asked what his gang affiliations were, and when Castoreno answered, one teen pulled a gun out and began firing, according to court documents.
He was shot four times and left for dead as the group ran.
A police dog search led police to an apartment that had been tied to a separate investigation into recent robberies in the area.
Manjares and several others involved in the shooting were identified through a photo posted on Instagram from the night of the shooting, in which they were wearing the same clothing as seen on security cameras in the area.
Manjares was allegedly referred to by the nickname “Shooter.”
Police said they were also were able to tie shell casings found at the scene to a series of shootings in Mabton, Sunnyside and Yakima County.
At least one of those shootings was tied to a group of brothers, one of them being Manjares, a known gang member.
About half an hour after the shooting, a witness said Guzman arrived at the convenience store across from the apartment complex with Sanchez but the complex was blocked by police responding to the shooting. Manjares and his brothers then left, according to court documents.
After identifying the vehicle they were in, investigators tried to contact Sanchez. He allegedly referred investigators to his attorney, who told them they were headed to Caldwell, Idaho. The vehicle was found at his father’s home in Caldwell.
The shooting ended a violent year for Benton County, which had a record 19 homicides.
