Tacoma 16-year-old was murdered in marijuana buy. Teenage shooter pleads guilty
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Teen who shot Jonathan Tovar, 16, pleaded guilty after case was moved to adult court.
- Defendant pleaded guilty to premeditated murder with firearm enhancement.
- Instagram messages, surveillance and DNA tied suspect to the killing.
A teenager accused of fatally shooting a 16-year-old in Tacoma when they met up for a marijuana transaction has pleaded guilty to first-degree murder after a judge declined juvenile jurisdiction and moved his case to adult court.
Gerhart Stanley, 17, pleaded guilty to the Jan. 25, 2024 shooting of Jonathan Tovar, who died at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle six days later.
The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson, Adam Faber, said the defense stipulated to Stanley’s case being moved to adult court Tuesday. Faber said Stanley subsequently pleaded guilty to premeditated murder with a firearm sentencing enhancement.
A defense attorney for Stanley was not yet listed in Superior Court records Tuesday afternoon.
A sentencing date is scheduled for March 20.
Tovar was a student at the former Oakland High School in Tacoma — now Oakland Secondary School — and he worked as a restaurant host, family previously told The News Tribune. The shooting near the 4400 block of Portland Avenue was just down the street from his mother’s apartment, and Tovar’s sister said their brother witnessed it from a window.
Stanley was 15 at the time and had previously been arrested by Lynnwood police for an unrelated matter, according to court documents. He was arrested in King County about eight months after Tovar was killed. Prosecutors wrote in charging papers that an unidentified accomplice also was involved.
Due to his age, Stanley’s case was filed in Juvenile Court. He was originally charged with two counts of first-degree murder, second-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. Faber said Stanley has remained in custody at Remann Hall since his arraignment in September 2024.
Tovar and Stanley communicated on Instagram in the hours and minutes before the shooting, according to the probable cause document. They messaged about meeting up to buy or sell THC cartridges, and Tovar “dropped a pin” to show his location at Stanley’s request. The messages ended at 12:07 a.m., four minutes before a 911 caller reported shots fired.
Surveillance video obtained by detectives showed Tovar climb over a gate and wave at a vehicle occupied by the suspects in the driveway of a U-Haul location, according to the probable cause document. The two suspects exited the vehicle and began shooting at Tovar, who started to run away.
Tovar was shot in the legs and fell, according to the probable cause document. The suspects then approached and shot him in the face. Tovar had a cellphone in his pocket at the time that had a friend on a call with him. The friend later reported to police that he heard the shooting and heard the suspects say, “Get his [expletive]!”
Investigators also obtained DNA evidence that linked Stanley to the murder. Law enforcement sent Tovar’s clothing and a lighter that was in his pants to a Washington State Patrol crime lab, and Lynwood police sent a DNA reference sample for Stanley they had from his prior arrest.
The DNA profile from Tovar’s pants and lighter was interpreted as originating from three people, according to the probable cause document. Tovar was assumed to be a contributor, and the crime lab gave the opinion that Stanley’s DNA was also on the pants and lighter.
