On what was supposed to be a day of celebration, his 22nd birthday, Christian Guerra, a young Hispanic man, lost his life in a senseless act of violence in the early morning hours of January 18, 2015, in Moses Lake, Washington. The fatal encounter began around 1:30 a.m. at a Jack in the Box drive-thru. Christian was a passenger in a 2010 Ford Fusion when a black 2001 Yukon, driven by 34-year-old Martha Mejia, nearly backed into their vehicle.
Christian shouted at Mejia to be careful, an action that would tragically escalate.
Mejia and her passenger, 37-year-old Jason D. Williams, both residents of Moses Lake, exited their Yukon and a heated argument erupted. The verbal confrontation quickly turned physical as Williams began fighting with Christian. After the initial scuffle was broken up, Williams reportedly went back to the Yukon, retrieved a 9mm Beretta handgun, and fired multiple shots at Christian and the car he was in. Christian was struck and fell to the ground. He was rushed to Samaritan Healthcare but ultimately succumbed to his gunshot wounds.
Following the shooting, Williams and Mejia fled the scene but were apprehended by police a short time later on South Grand in Moses Lake. Both were arrested and booked into the Grant County Jail on charges of first-degree murder. The investigation by the Moses Lake Police Department led to legal proceedings against both individuals.
Jason Williams stood trial for the murder of Christian Guerra. In September 2016, a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and three counts of first-degree assault. While the jury did not convict him on the more severe charge of first-degree murder, the judge sentenced Williams to 40 years in prison for what the prosecutor described as a "senseless execution." During the sentencing, Christian's sister tearfully expressed the family's profound loss, remembering her brother as an outgoing, kind, and loving person whose life was taken far too soon.
