In the days leading up to her death, 22-year-old Evelyn Zaragoza expressed fear that her ex-boyfriend was following her. This fear tragically materialized on the night of November 24, 2017, in a strip mall parking lot in Federal Way, Washington. Evelyn, a female, was sitting in her car with a male companion when her former boyfriend, 22-year-old Erik Guzman Naranjo, approached the vehicle.
The situation escalated quickly as Guzman Naranjo tried to open the car door.
When he was unable to get in, he used the butt of his firearm to shatter the driver's side window. Through the broken window, he fired a single shot, striking Evelyn in the head. She was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, where she succumbed to her injuries. The man in the passenger seat was unharmed and fled to get help.
The investigation revealed a history of domestic violence in Evelyn and Guzman Naranjo's on-again, off-again relationship. The day before the fatal shooting, Guzman Naranjo had allegedly shot at Evelyn's car in Kent, leaving bullet holes in the vehicle but thankfully not injuring her. This prior act of violence underscored the imminent danger she was in.
After the shooting, Erik Guzman Naranjo fled the scene. He was later apprehended in Lake Oswego, Oregon, on unrelated charges. He was found in a vehicle similar to the one seen at the crime scene. Following his arrest, he was extradited to King County, Washington, to face charges for Evelyn's death. Prosecutors charged him with first-degree domestic violence murder.
