Ellensburg extradite suspect from Hawaii for distributing drugs that killed two young men
ELLENSBURG, Wash. — A suspect was extradited back to Kittitas County from Hawaii after fleeing to evade Controlled Substance Homicide charges following the drug-related deaths of two young men in the Ellensburg area.
According to a release from the Ellensburg Police Department, Jonathan Rivera-Venegas was booked into the Kittitas County Jail on January 21 for two separate counts of Controlled Substance Homicide.
Rivera-Venegas allegedly fled the state while facing charges for the overdose death of 21-year-old Sage Francoi in August 2021. Efforts from the Yakima Federal Violent Crimes Task Force and Honolulu Police Department led to his arrest in October 2021.
PREVIOUS: Ellensburg teen arrested in Hawaii for allegedly selling drugs that killed one man
There, he was served an arrest warrant for the overdose death of 16-year-old Mateo Quintero-Castano in Ellensburg.
On August 16, 2021, Quintero-Castano was found unresponsive by family members. Officers and Kittitas Valley Fire & Rescue personnel responded to their home and later pronounced him dead.
RELATED: Four deaths, 20 overdoses attributed to fentanyl in Ellensburg in 2021
After the extradition process was completed and he was transfered back to Kittitas County, Rivera-Venegas was booked into the County Jail for two counts of Controlled Substance Homicide—a Class B Felony.
He faces several charges related to the sale and delivery of illegal drugs on top of the aforementioned felony charges, which hold a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison each.
- Thieves attempt to sell stolen ATV to deputies in Yakima County
- Semi-truck targeted with shotgun while driving westbound through Snoqualmie Pass
- Kennewick Doctor, Legislator champion breast cancer coverage during Senate hearing
- Suspect in four armed robberies located and arrested by Kennewick police, U.S. Marshals
- Washington AG files suit against Google for gathering & selling data using deceptive practices
READ: 10 Tri-Cities residents indicted in staged car accident scheme
COPYRIGHT 2022 BY YAKTRINEWS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
