By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – One of four individuals initially believed to be inside a Chevrolet Blazer during a drive-by shooting last summer in Chehalis was sentenced to jail today, but not for drive-by shooting as she was previously charged.
Christina Palomares, 24, of Tenino, was arrested in mid-August after the incident on Southwest William Street. A .45 caliber round found at the scene missed several people standing outside but struck an unoccupied parked vehicle.
Authorities described the shooting as related to a debt owed to somebody called “Candy man” and perpetrated by gang members of the LVL, or Little Valley Lokotes. Chehalis police originally believed the mother of three was the driver.
In a plea deal, Palomares pleaded guilty today to two counts of malicious prosecution. She was sentenced in Lewis County Superior Court to 90 days in jail.
She lied about who was in the vehicle, Deputy Prosecutor Colin Hayes said this afternoon. There was some question about if she was even in the SUV, he said.
“We’re not sure who was in the driver’s seat,” he said.
Palomares is the third original suspect against whom drive-by charges have been dropped in the case.
Juan Valentino Vasquez was released in March. Last fall, drive-by shooting charges were dismissed against Ruben Alberto Palomares, the husband of Christina Palomares.
Remaining as a suspect in the shooting is Andrew Morales-Loberg, of Chehalis.
He has not yet been picked up in the case, but Hayes said today Morales-Loberg may be currently in the Yakima County Jail, but that wasn’t yet confirmed.
If he is there, the warrant is still active so he would be sent to Lewis County when Yakima is done with his case there, Hayes said.
The alleged target pointed to then 19-year-old Morales-Loberg as the shooter, according to charging documents.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter