Mount Vernon Police arrested a 42-year-old man Sunday, April 14 in connection to the murder of a 28-year-old man.
Law enforcement were dispatched to a possible domestic violence call that someone had been shot around 5 a.m. and reported at the 200 block of W. Lawrence Street, according to Dave Shackleton, a lieutenant at the Mount Vernon Police Department.
Officers found the victim dead inside the residence and learned that there had been a fight that resulted in the victim being shot, according to Shackleton. Those inside the residence said they knew the suspect and that he’d fled after the shooting. Officers were unable to find the suspect in the area.
Witnesses inside the apartment told officers that the victim and Jorge Vasquez, 42, allegedly got in an argument, leading to the victim punching Vasquez in the face, according to a probable cause statement filed Monday, April 15. Vasquez then allegedly pulled a gun on the victim.
The victim and another man pushed Vasquez out of the apartment and locked the door, according to court documents. Vasquez allegedly kicked the door open shortly after and fired multiple gunshots, hitting the victim.
Another witness, who had been in communication with Vasquez, allowed officers to look at her phone messages, according to court documents. Vasquez wrote “they jumped me and they held you hostage so I kicked in the door and tried to get you out of there but I couldn’t.”
The witness replied, “No, [you] killed him,” according to court documents.
A few hours later, around 8 a.m., Vasquez arrived at the Skagit Valley Hospital Emergency Room saying he had been assaulted, according to police.
Vasquez told officers that he discharged his weapon “in defense of his niece,” according to court documents. His bloody nose and shirt matched a description given at the scene.
During the course of the investigation, police were able to establish probable cause to arrest Vasquez on suspicion of premeditated murder.
Vasquez is in the Skagit County Jail on a $2 million bond, according to the jail roster.
He’s set to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m on April 25 at the Skagit County courthouse, according to court documents.
The victim was identified as James White, according to the Skagit County Coroner’s Office. The cause of death was listed as a gunshot wound of the left arm into the chest.
Law enforcement continues to investigate the circumstances around the incident.
Update: This post was updated with more information from the probable cause statement filed in Skagit County Superior Court.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
