On the evening of August 4, 2025, Naul Mota Arellano, a 55-year-old White/Caucasian male from Sunnyside, Washington, ventured into a rural orchard to investigate reports of a suspicious man. He set out on an ATV in the area of Maple Grove Road and Chaffee Road but did not return as expected. Concerned witnesses began a search and discovered him among the trees, fatally wounded.
Detectives from the Yakima County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to the scene late that night to begin their
investigation. The Yakima County Coroner later confirmed that Naul Mota Arellano had died from multiple gunshot wounds. An autopsy supported these findings, and the investigation connected his death to the suspicious individual seen in the orchard earlier.
Within two days, authorities identified a suspect in the killing. The Yakima County Sheriff's Office named 29-year-old Miguel Angel Granados-Vargas of Sunnyside as the person they were seeking in connection with the homicide. A judge subsequently issued an arrest warrant for Granados-Vargas on a charge of second-degree murder.
Law enforcement agencies, including the Grant County Sheriff's Office, joined the search for the suspect, who was considered armed and dangerous. He was reportedly last seen near State Routes 241 and 24, south of the Grant-Yakima county line. Authorities urged the public not to approach Granados-Vargas but to contact detectives or Crime Stoppers with any information. As of the latest available reports, no arrests had been made in the case.
