ELLENSBURG -- The teenager whom police say shot and killed a man in the parking lot of the Jack in the Box on West University Way last week has been charged with first-degree murder.
Police were still searching for Benny Lee Castizo, 17, of Ellensburg as of Wednesday.
Castizo was identified as the shooter in the fatal incident at the fast-food restaurant around noontime Friday, March 15.
Christian Guthrie, 21, an Ellensburg resident, was identified as the victim in the shooting Tuesday by the Kittitas County Coroner’s Office.
An arrest warrant for Castizo’s arrest was approved by Judge Paul Sander on the day of the shooting, with bail set at $1 million.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Guthrie was sitting in a Chevrolet Suburban that was parked at an angle in the south row of parking stalls at the Jack in the Box when Castizo came running up along a sidewalk near the drive-thru and started shooting.
A passenger in the Suburban said they saw Castizo walking on a sidewalk along Main Street when they were stopped at a red light at Main and University Way. The passenger said they pulled into the Jack in the Box parking lot, and Castizo “was flashing gang signals” at them as he approached, the affidavit said.
The passenger said Guthrie started to get out of the vehicle and the passenger saw Castizo reach into his waistband and remove a handgun. The passenger said he saw Castizo shoot three times toward the vehicle as he started to run north, the affidavit said.
Guthrie got back into the vehicle, the passenger said, and he could see that he had been shot. The passenger also told police he recognized Castizo “by his distinct face tattoos including a cross and dots,” according to court documents. The witness also “recognized his bowl like haircut.”
Guthrie was taken to the emergency room at Kittitas Valley Healthcare Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Police determined Guthrie had been shot twice in his upper chest.
Officers found three 9 mm cartridge casings at the scene of the shooting, and a bullet was discovered under the rear of the Suburban.
Castizo is still at large. The police department set up a voicemail-only tip line to take in any information at 509-517-6265.
The Yakima Herald-Republic is publishing the name of the suspect because he is being charged as an adult.
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