SCHAWANA, Wash. – Detectives arrested Gilberto Sanchez Medina, 19, of Mattawa, and Isaac Almeida-Chittim, 19, of East Wenatchee for the May 28 shooting death of Juan Pablo Acosta in Schawana.
Almeida-Chittim was held in the Grant County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder and drive-by shooting, with bail denied. Sanchez faced the same charges, with bail set at $1 million.
Another suspect, 23-year-old Angel Olivares, . He was also charged with second-degree murder and drive-by shooting, with bail denied.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office believes the shooting was gang-related, although the victim, Acosta, was not a gang member.
Acosta’s body was found in his car on May 28 around 10:00 p.m. on Road T.5-Southwest. He had been shot several times.
Before the shooting, Acosta was on the phone with a friend, telling her he was being chased by a carload of “gangsters.”
Detectives collected evidence from the scene, which is currently undergoing lab analysis.
