U.S. Marshals Arrest Third Suspect Involved in Drive-By Shooting

Spokane, WA - Members of the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force, in close collaboration with the Sunnyside Police Department and Kennewick Police Department, today arrested in Richland a suspected gang member wanted in connection with a May 18 drive-by shooting in Sunnyside.

Jorge Pimentel, 26, is charged with four counts of first-degree assault in a felony arrest warrant issued May 29 by Yakima County Superior Court.

Pimentel, along with Salomon De Alba, arrested May 28, and Ojore Jayden Ayala-Garcia, arrested June 5, is alleged to have unleashed a hail of gunfire at a residence near the 400 block of Cemetery Road, where multiple bystanders were present, including children, who were directly trapped in the line of gunfire.

When Sunnyside police officers arrived, they found a 31-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the head. The victim was taken to Sunnyside Hospital then transferred to an out of area hospital for elevated care.

“This arrest reflects the strength of our teamwork that exists between our local and state partners,” said Craig Thayer, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Washington. “Through close collaboration we were able to safely locate and apprehend this offender. This drive-by shooting put children and the community at risk.”

Pimentel was arrested at a residence in the 2500 block of Bella Coola Lane by members of the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF), the Yakima Police Department, the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington State Department of Corrections.

The Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force is a U.S. Marshals-led partnership comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. The task force’s primary mission is to locate, arrest and return to the justice system the most violent and egregious federal and state fugitives.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or USMS Tips.