On July 19, 2022, a dispute in a Yakima, Washington, neighborhood erupted into violence that left a man seriously injured. First responders were dispatched to a backyard on South Seventh Street following a call about a man in pain. There they found Victoriyondo Jesse Morales, a 38-year-old male, suffering from gunshot wounds to his head and leg. He was transported to Astria Regional Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and later released.
The Yakima Police Department launched
an investigation and obtained security video from a neighboring property. The footage captured a fight between Morales and two other men. According to prosecutors, the video showed a man, later identified by witnesses as Adam Michael Tomisser, pointing a handgun at Morales and firing. The altercation continued, and the second man, Carlos Arciga Jr., allegedly shot Morales with a long gun. Before leaving the scene, the two assailants covered Morales with a tarp. Investigators found spent 9mm and .22-caliber shell casings where the video showed the men standing.
Following the investigation, police arrested Tomisser, 44, and Arciga, 30. Tomisser was charged with attempted second-degree murder and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, the latter charge stemming from a prior residential burglary conviction. Arciga was also accused in the shooting. The two men were scheduled to be tried together in Yakima County Superior Court.
In May 2024, just before jury selection began, Carlos Arciga Jr. accepted a plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder, and in return, prosecutors agreed to recommend a 15-year prison sentence. His sentencing was scheduled for the following month.
Adam Tomisser’s trial proceeded alone. Over eight days, prosecutors presented the security video and witness testimony. The defense attorney argued that Tomisser was not at the scene and highlighted what he called flaws in the police investigation, such as a failure to send certain evidence to the state crime lab for testing. When called to the stand, Morales testified that he could not remember the incident because he had been shot in the head. Tomisser’s wife, who initially told detectives she had swapped cars with her husband after the shooting, testified at trial that her deceased cousin was the person who shot Morales.
After nearly two weeks, the jury informed the judge that they were deadlocked and could not reach a unanimous decision. One juror later stated there was a lack of evidence that Tomisser was there, while another believed Tomisser was the shooter but had doubts about his intent. The judge declared a mistrial. As of May 2024, the case against Adam Tomisser remained unresolved pending further legal action.
