Crime · Pasco, WA
A gang-related shooting in an alley in Pasco, Washington on Saturday around 4:15 p.m. killed 15-year-old Anthony Hernandez and injured a 17-year-old with a head wound. Salvador Corona Jr., 43, and his son Salvador Corona III, 22, appeared Wednesday in Franklin County Superior Court on suspicion of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and drive-by shooting; both are held on $1 million bail. Court documents allege Corona Jr. returned to the scene, filmed the dying teen, and that Hernandez's sneakers were stolen. Police continue searching for two additional suspects caught on video firing at the teens.
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.
