On October 20, 2015, a tragic and senseless act of violence claimed the life of 19-year-old Hispanic male, Angel Mireles, in Auburn, Washington. The young man was waiting at a bus stop on 17th Street Southeast with his 40-year-old stepfather, Mark Rivera, and his younger brother when a stolen black Acura Integra pulled up beside them. An argument ensued between Mireles and the driver of the vehicle, a 19-year-old man named Froilan Hermenegildo.
As Mireles approached the car to continue the conversation, Hermenegildo produced a gun and shot him in the face.
As Rivera rushed to his stepson's aid, he too was shot in the face by Hermenegildo. The gunman then reportedly aimed the weapon at Mireles's younger brother, who was just 13 years old, but the boy managed to escape unharmed and call the police using Mireles's phone. Angel Mireles was pronounced dead at the scene. His stepfather, Mark Rivera, was transported to Harborview Medical Center in critical condition and succumbed to his injuries the following day.
The investigation quickly led police to Froilan Hermenegildo, a known gang member with an extensive criminal record. He and his 16-year-old girlfriend, who was a passenger in the car during the shooting, were later located at the girlfriend's home in Auburn. The stolen Acura, spattered with blood, was found abandoned in the Tacoma area.
Froilan Hermenegildo was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, first-degree assault for firing at the 13-year-old, illegal firearm possession, and stolen vehicle possession. His girlfriend was charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance and vehicle theft. In April 2017, Hermenegildo pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder with firearm enhancements, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in the first degree, and two counts of possession of a stolen vehicle. He was subsequently sentenced to a lengthy prison term for the killings of Angel Mireles and Mark Rivera.
