In the early hours of February 12, 2018, a quiet street in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Inside a house on East Marshall Street, 39-year-old Pedro Yanez, a Hispanic male, was with several other people when a vehicle pulled up and unleashed a barrage of bullets into the home. Yanez was struck in the hail of gunfire and succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a complex story of gang affiliations and drug-related activities.
Yanez, also known by the nickname 'Spider,' was a member of the South Side Lokos 13, a street gang with connections to the Sureño network and the Mexican Mafia. Authorities initially suspected the murder was a targeted attack connected to ongoing tensions and a violent gang war between rival factions, including the Florencia and Latin Kings gangs, who were vying for control of the local drug trade.
Earlier in the evening, Yanez had reportedly been involved in an argument with another man who left the house angry. The man returned a short time later, attempting to kick in the door before breaking a window and leaving again. Not long after, the drive-by shooting that claimed Yanez's life occurred.
Investigators identified a primary suspect in the case, Ibara Pelgrren. Evidence left at the scene, including a wallet and a birth certificate, linked Pelgrren to the crime. Authorities believed he had traveled to Tulsa from Arizona with the purpose of selling drugs. Despite this lead, the case grew more complex as police suspected the presence of multiple shooters in the vehicle. Subsequently, Jose Pelgrren was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Yanez's death. However, he was never apprehended and is believed to have fled to another state or possibly Mexico. The identities of any other individuals involved in the shooting remain unknown, and the murder of Pedro Yanez officially remains unresolved.
