Tacoma man fatally shot with 2 toddlers in car. Was killing part of gang initiation?
The shooting of a 24-year-old Tacoma man earlier this year in the city’s Eastside neighborhood while he was in a car with two toddlers might have been part of a gang initiation, according to newly filed court documents.
Adrian Sanchez-Radilla and Martin Solorzano Cruz, ages 24 and 23, were charged Friday in Pierce County Superior Court with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, four counts of first-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Pleas of not guilty were entered on the defendants’ behalves during arraignment Friday afternoon. Superior Court Judge Susan Adams set bail at $1.5 million for both men.
In arguing for that amount, deputy prosecutor Robert Yu cited the defendants’ criminal histories and the fact that there were two children in the victim’s car along with other adults. Yu said the state believes the shooting was gang-related.
“It’s very lucky there weren’t more victims in this case,” Yu said.
According to court records, Solorzano Cruz was convicted in 2018 and 2022 of third-degree assault. Sanchez-Radilla was convicted in 2018 of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
According to charging documents, there were four suspects in the May 7 killing of Samuel Antonio Garza Gonzalez, which occurred at about 11:20 p.m. on East D Street, near the intersection of East 34th. One day after the shooting, Tacoma police arrested Bismar Francisco Andres, 27, following a high-speed pursuit that led onto northbound Interstate 5.
The men charged Friday were the second and third suspects to be arrested, and court documents state the fourth suspect’s whereabouts are unknown. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
According to an obituary for the victim, Garza Gonzalez moved to Tacoma with his parents as a child in 2006 from Merced, California. He attended Mount Tahoma High School, then worked at Domino’s Pizza and then Nissan. The obituary stated that the man loved working on his cars, listening to music and spending time with his family and friends.
The night of the shooting, court records say, Garza Gonzalez was in the passenger seat of an SUV while his wife drove him, his cousin and his cousin’s children, ages 2 and 3, to see a relative who lives in the Eastside neighborhood. The brother wasn’t home, and, while they were on East D Street, two gunmen standing outside a parked truck shot at their SUV from about 50 feet away. Records say video from a witness shows two other men were inside the gunmen’s car.
The victim was struck in the neck and chest, and his wife drove him to Tacoma General Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Andres and Sanchez-Radilla are described in charging documents as known gang members, and a video investigators found on Andres’ Facebook page reportedly shows the two “jumping” Solorzano-Cruz six hours before the shooting in what detectives described as a common gang initiation meant to see if the new member is tough enough and has the dedication to join.
“The video shows Andres, Sanchez-Radilla and [the fourth suspect] punching and kicking Cruz for approximately thirty seconds,” prosecutors wrote in court records. “At the end, the assault stops, and you see one of the attackers give Cruz a handshake and a hug.”
Detectives believe the gang initiation continued throughout the day, and that the four men were together at the time of the shooting. Records say the victim was wearing red, including a red ball cap, when the shooting occurred, and the suspect vehicle reportedly had a blue bandanna tied around the steering column.
This story was originally published September 30, 2022 at 1:07 PM.
