On the evening of April 29, 2020, a violent dispute in Pasco, Washington, claimed the life of 29-year-old Hispanic male Luis Contreras. The incident unfolded in the backyard of a residence on the 1900 block of East Lewis Street. Contreras, along with two other men, was present when an argument erupted with another group of individuals. The verbal confrontation quickly escalated into gunfire, with witnesses reporting hearing as many as ten shots.
When police arrived at the chaotic scene shortly before 6 p.m., they found Contreras with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other men were also injured in the shooting and were transported to local hospitals for treatment.
The investigation into the homicide quickly identified three suspects: Antonio Larios Jr., then 18, and brothers Miguel Angel Montalvo, 21, and Juan M. Montalvo, 25. Pasco police revealed the shooting was the result of a planned confrontation between two groups of acquaintances. A manhunt for the three suspects began, with police circulating their descriptions and their association with a black Kia Sorrento SUV. Within days, authorities, including U.S. Marshals, located and arrested Larios in Granger, Washington. The Montalvo brothers, however, remained at large, setting the stage for a dramatic and violent conclusion to their flight from justice.
Nearly three weeks after the murder of Contreras, the Montalvo brothers resurfaced at the same Lewis Street home. In an apparent attempt to silence witnesses, they forced their way into the house and opened fire again, wounding two more people. Following this second shooting, the brothers carjacked a vehicle, forcing the driver into the trunk before fleeing. The victim managed to escape and alert the police. The subsequent search led officers to a different Pasco home where the suspects were hiding. As police approached, the Montalvo brothers ran out and engaged officers in a shootout in an alley. The gunfight ended with Juan Montalvo being killed and Miguel Montalvo being seriously wounded.
In the ensuing legal proceedings, Antonio Larios Jr. pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and assault charges for his role in the shooting that killed Contreras. He faced a prison sentence of nine to twelve years. Miguel Montalvo survived his injuries from the police shootout and pleaded guilty to a host of 15 crimes, including the attempted murder of two police officers and his role in the initial shooting. While he did not specifically admit to killing Contreras, he was sentenced to nearly 50 years in prison for the violent crime spree. A fourth individual was also arrested for rendering criminal assistance in the case.
