In the early morning hours of December 9, 2016, 28-year-old Arturo Sosa was driving near Royal City, Washington, on a desolate stretch of State Route 26. He was not alone in his green Ford Explorer; a male companion was with him as they traveled from Royal City with Othello as their destination. The darkness was interrupted by the persistent flashing of high beams from an SUV behind them. When Sosa pulled his vehicle over, at least three men emerged from the other vehicle, altering the course of the night in a violent and final way for Sosa.
Two of the men from the SUV approached Sosa's Explorer, initially ordering both occupants out of the vehicle. Due to passing traffic, they were quickly forced back into their own car, but not into the front seats. The two assailants took control of Sosa's vehicle, forcing him and his friend into the back seat as one of the suspects began to drive west. A struggle for control ensued when the victims attempted to disarm the man in the front passenger seat. This act of resistance was met with deadly force as the driver produced another gun. In the ensuing chaos, gunshots rang out. Arturo Sosa was struck and killed by multiple bullets, while his companion was also shot but survived his injuries.
The investigation into the homicide of Arturo Sosa uncovered a complex plot rooted in personal grievance. Authorities arrested Sosa's ex-girlfriend, Eustolia Campuzano, who alleged that Sosa had been abusive towards her. She had reportedly confided in a friend, Paula Rodriguez Cuevas, who then introduced her to the men who would allegedly carry out the attack. These men were identified as Gustavo Tapia Rodriguez, Fernando Marcos Gutierrez, and Julio Albarran Varona. The investigation was aided by key evidence, including a fingerprint from Tapia Rodriguez found on Sosa's vehicle and tire tracks at the scene that matched a GMC Yukon believed to be his. The case was further linked to the separate homicide of Jill Sundberg, with some of the same individuals facing charges in both slayings. Campuzano and Cuevas were charged with first-degree assault, while Tapia Rodriguez and Gutierrez faced charges including first-degree murder for their roles in the roadside ambush that ended Arturo Sosa's life.
