A Vancouver man was sentenced Thursday in Clark County Superior Court for his involvement in a drive-by shooting last year in downtown Vancouver.
Edgar R. Munguia Del Rayo, 18, a purported Norteño gang member, pleaded guilty to wounding a rival from the Sureño gang in the shoulder. His charges were reduced from first-degree assault and drive-by shooting to second-degree assault. Judge Scott Collier sentenced him to 158 days in jail that he’s already served, along with one year of community custody.
The plea deal saved the teenager the possibility of years of imprisonment if he had been convicted of the original charges, Collier said.
About 11 p.m. March 23, Clark County sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a man with a gunshot wound at Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center.
The victim, a Sureño gang member, said he was shot by a Norteño gang rival who was driving by his residence in the 1200 block of West Franklin Street earlier in the evening, according to court records.
The suspect vehicle then sped away, and the victim sought medical treatment.
According to court records, the victim said the shooting was the latest in a rash of violence between the two gangs, most of which had not been reported to law enforcement.
Last year, Munguia Del Rayo’s vehicle was shot and spray-painted with Sureño graffiti, court records show.
Munguia Del Rayo allegedly called the victim a “Scrap” when he shot him, which is a derogatory term for a Sureño gang member.
Multiple witnesses and police were interviewed to try and determine out what happened. Also, during the investigation, the victim was facing first-degree robbery in a separate case that’s going to trial, according to court documents. At Munguia Del Rayo’s sentencing, it was still unclear whether he was or is a Norteño gang member.
“It’s not a life to be involved in,” Collier said to the teenager.
Second-degree assault is a three-strikes offense, meaning if Munguia Del Rayo is convicted of the crime two more times, he’ll face a lifetime prison sentence.
