On the evening of March 21, 2025, a tragic drive-by shooting occurred in Moses Lake, Washington, resulting in the death of 14-year-old Mario Amezcua Santoyo, a Hispanic male. The incident took place around 9 p.m. in the 500 block of Loop Drive, where gunfire from a passing vehicle struck a car occupied by five individuals. Mario Amezcua Santoyo sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The other victims included a 26-year-old woman, two 17-year-olds, and a 13-year-old, all of whom were hospitalized with injuries but later released.
In the immediate aftermath, law enforcement agencies launched an intensive investigation. On March 24, a 14-year-old male suspect from Mattawa, Washington, was arrested at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland while seeking treatment for a non-life-threatening, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the leg, believed to have occurred during the shooting. He was charged with first-degree murder and multiple counts of assault. Subsequent investigations led to the identification of two additional suspects: 20-year-old Jose Beltran-Rodriguez and 18-year-old Matthew Valdez. Both were charged with first-degree murder, five counts of first-degree assault, drive-by shooting, and felon in possession of a firearm.
A nationwide manhunt ensued, coordinated by the U.S. Marshals Service's Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force, in collaboration with the Moses Lake Police Department, FBI, ATF, and other agencies. On March 28, Matthew Valdez was apprehended in Beaverton, Oregon, with assistance from the Washington County Sheriff's Office. Two days later, on March 30, Jose Beltran-Rodriguez was arrested in Redding, California, and taken into custody pending extradition. All three suspects are believed to have affiliations with the Norteños gang, a transnational criminal organization involved in violent crime and drug trafficking.
Authorities have indicated that the shooting was gang-related, though the victims, including 14-year-old Hispanic male Mario Amezcua Santoyo, were not affiliated with any gang activity. The incident has prompted increased law enforcement presence in the community and local schools to ensure public safety. Investigations are ongoing, with federal charges being pursued against those involved in this violent crime.
