Kelso man sentenced to 30 years for fatal drive-by at Boondox
A Kelso man was sentenced to 360 months in prison over the fatal 2024 drive-by shooting of a father of three.
Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help
Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to The Daily News.
Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Thad Scudder sentenced Eligha Christian Buckner-Lopez, 20, of Kelso to 30 years behind bars. He pleaded guilty to a first-degree murder charge over the death of Cody Tamayo, 31, of Kelso, last month.
During the hearing, three people sat behind Buckner-Lopez and the rest of the seats remained empty.
Cody Tamayo's widow, Samaria Tamayo, described her husband as a "giant teddy bear. She said she lost her best friend, "my lover, and my protector. Someone who chose to love me. Not by default."
"He looked at every flaw and imperfection and still said 'I love you; I choose you every day' until your heinous act changed everything," she said in court to the defendant.
Cody Tamayo's mother, Tammie Conway, said nothing prepared her to sign both her child's birth and death certificates.
Still, she had mercy for Buckner-Lopez.
"I forgive you for what you did to us," she said in a prepared statement.
Afterward, she left the courtroom and could be heard crying outside.
Audrina Tomayo, one of Cody Tamayo's children, said it's been "659 days since you murdered my father."
She described her father as a warm, funny man who lit up every room he was in. She said she hoped her father's name and face haunted Buckner-Lopez forever.
Family mourns father of 3 killed in West Kelso shooting
Cody Tamayo had just grabbed tools to remodel the flooring of his new place when he was fatally shot last month at Boondox Gas and Grocery, according to his family.
The shooting
Tamayo was shot just before 7 p.m. Aug. 13, 2024, near the Boondox Gas and Grocery at 705 West Cowlitz Way in West Kelso. He died the following day.
A police report says witnesses saw a white Chrysler 300 and the victim's black Chevrolet next to each other on the day of the shooting near the Cowlitz Way gas station when they heard gunshots, followed by the Chevrolet backing up.
UPDATE: Police: Kelso drive-by shooting victim dies, murder charges pending
The police report says gas station surveillance caught part of the shooting.
The report also says gas station surveillance caught part of the shooting. Footage shows both vehicles next to each other at the stoplight at West Cowlitz Way and West Main Street near Boondox, facing southbound toward Mattress Firm.
When the light turns green, the video shows Tamayo accelerating and the suspects speeding up to meet him but exiting the video's coverage area. Later, Tamayo's Chevrolet is seen reversing against traffic and hitting a traffic post, the report states.
When the Kelso police arrived at about 6:49 p.m., they found Tamayo in his black truck suffering from a gunshot wound.
Police found Conner Aguayo, 21, of Kelso and Buckner-Lopez hiding in a portable toilet in Rainier hours after the shooting.
Aguayo, who pleaded guilty last year, has a sentencing hearing on Friday.
Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 12:34 PM.