Wilberth Lopez Acala, a 22-year-old resident of Tacoma, WA, was tragically found dead on May 14, 2018. Acala, along with 19-year-old Adrian Valencia, was discovered in a white Dodge Charger parked on 63rd Street West near Kobayashi Park in University Place. Both men had been shot in the head, and their deaths were ruled homicides by the Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office. The initial discovery was made by a neighbor who called the police, thinking the men were passed out in the car.
Bullet casings were found both inside and outside the vehicle, but no calls reporting gunshots were received by law enforcement.
The investigation into the murders revealed that the incident appeared to be drug-related. Surveillance video released by the Pierce County Sheriff's Department showed two suspects running from the scene shortly after the murders occurred. The suspects were seen walking down the sidewalk near the crime scene at around 3:42 a.m. on May 14, 2018.
In the weeks following the murders, law enforcement made significant progress in the case. One of the two suspects was arrested, while the second suspect remained at large. The arrest was a crucial development in the investigation, providing some hope for justice for the families of the victims. The Pierce County Sheriff's Department continued to seek information from the public to locate the second suspect.
The case of Wilberth Lopez Acala and Adrian Valencia's murders highlights the ongoing issues of drug-related violence and the challenges law enforcement faces in solving such crimes. The community's response, including the release of surveillance footage and the offer of a reward for information, underscores the collective effort to bring the perpetrators to justice.
