In the late hours of a summer Saturday in Gresham, Oregon, the life of 17-year-old Hispanic male Jose Ricardo Morales was cut short. On July 29, 2017, at approximately 10:30 p.m., police responded to calls of a shooting at the intersection of Southeast 187th Avenue and Southeast Stark Street. Arriving at the scene, officers discovered Morales near the southwest corner of the intersection, where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation that followed swiftly led to the apprehension of four individuals a short time after the incident. The suspects, who were arrested without incident nearby, were identified as 15-year-old Obed Garcia of Wood Village, 20-year-old Isai Guzman-Ramirez of Portland, and brothers 16-year-old Francisco Martinez-Chavez and 17-year-old Cristian Martinez-Chavez, both of Troutdale. All four were subsequently charged with murder in connection with Morales' death.
Court documents later revealed that the shooting was an act of retaliation. Earlier in the evening, Morales had reportedly been involved in an altercation where he punched Cristian Martinez-Chavez multiple times in the face. In response, the group of four allegedly decided to seek revenge. They went to Guzman-Ramirez's home to retrieve a. 22 caliber rifle. Garcia then drove the group in a white Chrysler Sebring, searching for Morales. After locating him, Garcia slowed the vehicle, allowing Cristian Martinez-Chavez to fire a single shot, which fatally struck Morales. The East County Major Crimes Team took over the investigation, exploring whether the homicide was gang-related. One of the suspects, Isai Guzman-Ramirez, reportedly told officers he was a member of the Sureños gang.
In the wake of the tragedy, family and friends gathered for a vigil, remembering Morales as a caring individual whom many looked up to. His mother, Celia Santiago, shared that her son had been saving money from his job at a local arcade and that his main desire was to be happy and have a home. A makeshift memorial of balloons and candles marked the spot where his life was taken. The four suspects all pleaded not guilty to the murder charge at their initial court appearance.
