On the evening of September 16, 2022, a night of celebration in Yakima, Washington, turned into a scene of tragedy that would claim three lives, including that of 21-year-old Yaelin Arreola, a Hispanic female. Yaelin was driving her silver Audi near the intersection of East Yakima Avenue and North First Street around 9:20 p.m., celebrating Mexico's Independence Day with her passengers.
As her 17-year-old boyfriend, Julio Lozano, waved a Mexican flag from the car, another vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire. Yaelin was struck in the head by the gunfire, and another passenger, a 21-year-old man, was wounded in the arm.
In a desperate attempt to get his girlfriend to a hospital, Lozano took control of the Audi, placing Yaelin in the back seat. He sped away from the scene, reaching speeds estimated between 60 and 70 miles per hour. The frantic race for help ended in a second catastrophe at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and North 3rd Avenue. Lozano ran a red light and crashed into a Nissan Sentra, killing both of its occupants instantly. The victims were identified as 52-year-old Maria Norma Carillo-Reyes and her 21-year-old daughter, Maria Cielo Torres Carillo. Yaelin Arreola was later transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where she died. It was later reported that she had been pregnant with Lozano’s child.
The Yakima Police Department's Major Crimes and Gang Unit began investigating the complex incident, determining that the initial shooting was gang-related. Lozano, identified as a known Norteño gang member, was taken into custody at the Yakima County Juvenile Justice Center and charged with vehicular homicide for the deaths of Carillo-Reyes and Torres Carillo. In the days following the crash, community members created memorials with flowers, candles, and balloons near the site to honor all three women who lost their lives.
In May 2023, Julio Lozano, then 18, pleaded guilty in juvenile court to two counts of vehicular homicide. Because he was a minor at the time of the offense, the case remained within the juvenile court's jurisdiction. A judge sentenced him to two consecutive terms of 15 to 36 weeks in a juvenile rehabilitation facility, admonishing him to leave the gang life behind and make better decisions.
While the case related to the fatal crash is closed, the investigation into Yaelin Arreola’s homicide continues. As of May 2023, the person or people who shot and killed her remain unidentified and at large.
