Public Safety · Benton County
Benton County Sheriff's Office investigators concluded that an electrical arc from a Benton PUD high-voltage power line caused the Sept. 25 "2nd Street Fire" in unincorporated areas south and east of Benton City, Washington. The fire spread across 1,100 acres, destroying three mobile homes at Kiona Village and one home on Pear Drive near Jacobs Road, leaving six residents homeless. Benton PUD announced the finding Wednesday after reviewing system-monitoring data showing a short circuit near the estimated ignition time and inspecting insulators, wires, and connectors for signs of arcing and mechanical failure. The utility said it is continuing to investigate root causes and will share further information with the public.
Crime · Benton County
Jose Cruz Escobar, 25, appeared in Benton County Superior Court Tuesday on suspicion of second-degree murder after allegedly shooting his brother, Alejandro Salazar, 27, during an argument Monday evening near Prosser, Washington. The incident on the 24000 block of North Rothrock Road was initially reported as a drive-by but investigators determined it began as a fight between the two men. Escobar's bail was set at $200,000; his attorney claims self-defense while prosecutors note a delay before he returned with a gun. Judge Andrew Howell criticized the sparse police report provided to the court. The shooting was the second fatal incident in three days in the area, following a Saturday killing in Pasco.
Crime · Pasco, WA
A federal court in the Eastern District of Washington has expanded its indictment against Francier Obando Pinillo, former pastor of Tiempos De Poder church in Pasco, adding two co-defendants accused of creating the fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme "Solano Fi" in Colombia in August 2021. Prosecutors allege the three defendants defrauded investors—including church members and others across Eastern Washington—of nearly $8.4 million by promising guaranteed monthly returns up to 35% on a non-existent crypto platform. Co-defendant Chad Devin Neuburger was arrested in Richland, while Yey Brandon Llanos Moreno remains in Colombia; Pinillo is scheduled to appear Oct. 20 on new conspiracy charges. The Commodity Trading Commission has also filed a civil suit against Pinillo, paused pending the criminal case outcome.
