A Man is Dead & a Woman is Recovering in Yakima Shooting
One man is dead and a woman is recovering after the vehicle they were traveling in was riddled with bullets last night.
It was a scary situation in Yakima as gunfire erupted around 6:25 pm in the 1100 block of Cornell Avenue. Witnesses say they hear 11 gunshots.
According to a statement from the Yakima Police Department:
Officers arrived and, in the 1100 block of Cornell Avenue, found 26-year-old Patricia Leija suffering from a gunshot wound to her hip. Leija was standing next to her black, Chevrolet Impala. Officers found 30-year-old Oscar Ricardo Hondal-Lopez in the driver’s seat of the Impala suffering from a gunshot wound to his neck. Officers and paramedics rendered first aid, but Hondal-Lopez died at the scene from his injuries.
Witnesses told officers that Leija's vehicle was being pursued by a four-door white sedan with four people inside. As the white car continued north on Cornell, Leija's Impala crashed into a fence and parked vehicle.
The Yakima Police Department Major Crimes Unit and Gang Unit are continuing to investigate the shooting. They've gathered neighboring security camera videos of the shooting.
Leija was transported to Yakima Valley Memorial Hospital where she was treated and released for her gunshot wound.
Police say the motive remains unclear at this time. However, it may be gang-related.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Yakima Police at 509-575-6200 or to call 9-1-1. Tips can also be reported to Yakima County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-248-9980. You can also report tips on the Crime Stoppers website at: http://www.crimestoppersyakco.org/
You can read more from the Yakima Police Department here.