On the evening of November 18, 2022, a trip to the Westfield Southcenter mall in Tukwila, Washington, turned tragic for Chris Wesolowicz, a 30-year-old Caucasian male, and his wife, Mary. As they returned to their vehicle in the parking garage at approximately 6:39 p.m., they stumbled upon a car theft in progress. The couple's presence startled the individuals attempting to break into their car.
In a selfless act, Chris yelled at the suspects to stop and ran towards their vehicle to try
and get identifying information. The suspects, in turn, drove their car into him. After hitting him with the vehicle, they opened fire through their windshield, striking Chris multiple times. He heroically yelled for his wife to run before he collapsed. Mary Wesolowicz was also injured in the chaos, sustaining a gunshot wound to her hand. Bystanders rushed to aid Chris while his wife called 911, but despite the efforts of paramedics who arrived at the scene, he succumbed to his injuries.
The suspects immediately fled the scene in their vehicle, sparking a months-long investigation by the Tukwila Police Department's Major Crimes Unit. Their efforts eventually led them to identify three suspects from Auburn. In May 2023, with the assistance of SWAT teams, authorities arrested a 20-year-old, an 18-year-old, and a 16-year-old in connection with the murder.
Two of the individuals, Cristopher Ruvalcaba, who was 20 at the time, and 19-year-old Joe Aguilera, were charged with second-degree murder. Both men, identified as gang members, later pleaded guilty. In June 2024, a judge sentenced Ruvalcaba to twelve and a half years in prison and Aguilera to just over ten years. The firearms used in the fatal shooting were also linked to five other shootings in the South King County area. The third suspect, Kevin Diaz-Bautista, who was 16 at the time of the incident, is awaiting trial as an adult on a charge of second-degree murder.
