$10 million bail set for last suspect in death of Camille Love
A Tacoma gang member wanted for the shooting death of Camille Love more than a decade ago was arrested in Mexico, the FBI announced Thursday.
Richard Sanchez, 30, has been on the run since 2010, when he was charged with killing two people in unrelated shootings.
He pleaded not guilty at arraignment Friday in Pierce County Superior Court. Judge Thomas P. Quinlan set bail at $10 million in each case.
Sanchez is one of seven people charged with the Feb, 7, 2010, death of Love.
Police say the group stole a van from Auburn and went looking for rival gang members in retaliation for a shooting two days earlier.
They spotted Love’s red car on Tacoma’s East Side after she and her brother, Josh Love, left a family dinner and were driving to a friend’s house.
Santiago Mederos and at least one other person opened fire after Josh Love gave the gang members a dirty look, prosecutors wrote in charging papers.
Camille Love, 20, died at the scene. Her brother was shot in the arm and the side but survived.
Detectives said the gang members targeted the Loves because the car was red and Josh Love wore a red coat, which is the color of a rival gang.
The brother and sister were not affiliated with a gang and were innocent victims, police have said.
Sanchez, Mederos and the other suspects are charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, first-degree conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Sanchez and Mederos are also charged with second-degree murder for the March 25, 2010, death of 25-year-old Saul Lucas-Alfonso.
They were part of a group that ransacked a car in a South Tacoma alley because they believed the owner owed their gang money, prosecutors said.
Three men confronted the gang and a fight broke out. When Mederos’ side began losing, they made a dash for their car to leave and Mederos allegedly fired his gun once, hitting Lucas-Alfonso and killing him.
Deputy prosecutor Greg Greer told the court Friday that Sanchez had been captured two days ago, after he allegedly tried to flee Mexican authorities.
Staff writer Alexis Krell contributed to this report.
This story was originally published February 12, 2021 at 12:08 AM.
