On a cool autumn evening in Tacoma, Washington, 18-year-old Elijah Crawford, a Black male, found his life cut tragically short. The date was November 2, 2015, and Crawford, a recent graduate of Lincoln High School known for his involvement in wrestling and football, had accompanied a friend to what was supposed to be a fistfight in the 1800 block of East 44th Street.
His friend had an ongoing dispute with a man named Alberto Colt-Sarmiento and had arranged to meet him to settle their differences without weapons. Crawford and another companion went along simply to watch their friend's back.
The situation took a deadly turn when the group arrived at the arranged meeting spot. As they got out of their vehicle and walked toward Colt-Sarmiento, a man emerged from the bushes and opened fire on them. Crawford was struck by a gunshot and died at the scene. His 20-year-old friend was also wounded, shot in the shoulder and face, but ultimately survived his injuries. The friend who was the intended target of the initial dispute was not physically harmed. The investigation that followed revealed this was not a random act of violence but a planned ambush.
The subsequent police investigation led to the arrests of three young men. Alberto Colt-Sarmiento, then 22, was identified as the man who had arranged the supposed fistfight. Detectives uncovered text messages exchanged before the incident, including chilling words like "KILLKILLKILL," which pointed to a premeditated attack. Though he was not the gunman, investigators believed Colt-Sarmiento set up the ambush. He was arrested in Centralia after being on the run.
Two other individuals were also charged in connection with Crawford's murder. Juan Javier Zuniga-Gonzalez, 17 at the time, was identified as the shooter who ran out of the bushes. Trino Valentino Martinez, then 21, was found to have provided the gun used in the deadly assault. All three were eventually convicted for their roles in the senseless killing. Zuniga-Gonzalez, the gunman, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, among other charges. Martinez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. After a trial, a jury found Colt-Sarmiento guilty of second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and assault. For his part in orchestrating the fatal encounter, Colt-Sarmiento was sentenced to nearly 61 years in prison, while Zuniga-Gonzalez and Martinez both received sentences of more than 21 years.
