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Oct 22, 2023

Body of Spokane Woman Found Near Mabton As Killer is Loose

Yakima County authorities say they've been able to identify the body of a woman found near Mabton in April. The Yakima County Coroner Jim Curtice says the body is that of 17-year-old Samantha Kalinchuk of Spokane.

Officials say she was identified through the use of dental records. The autopsy found she died of a gunshot wound to the head before she was found April 30 in a field in the 600 block of Farm Road east of Mabton. Authorities are investigating and searching for a suspect or suspects. If you know anything that could help in the case contact the Yakima County Sheriff's Office at 509-574-2500. Have a tip but don't want to identify yourself? You can call Yakima County Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 and report your tip anonymously.

Meanwhile the Yakima County Prosecutors Office and county sheriff's Detectives are still putting together a case against two men arrested in a shooting in Wapato last month.20-year-old Joel Campos-Dones of Toppenish and 19-year-old Xavier Randall of Granger both face second-degree murder charges and are being held in the Yakima County jail.Bail has been set at $1 million for both men. They also face charges of drive-by-shooting.Yakima County Sheriff's Detectives say the two fired shots that killed 35-year-old Charlie Jimenez of Wapato in the front yard of a home in the 700 block of Wasco Avenue.

Authorities were called to the area by a neighbor who reported the shooting and told a 911 dispatcher his neighbor had been injured. When Officers from the Wapato Police Department arrived they found Jimenez in the front yard. He was shot in the leg, abdomen and chest. He died in a private vehicle on the way to a hospital.

Security video from the neighborhood found 2 vehicles that pulled up to the home and opened fire on Jimenez. One of the vehicle was located in Toppenish and crashed near Buena after being spotted by an officer. Three people were taken into custody including the driver. One was released and two were arrested and were charged Monday in Yakima County Superior Court.Yakima County Prosecutor says more arrests are possible as the investigation into the shooting continues.

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