MOSES LAKE, Wash. — Newly obtained court documents are shedding more light on what led to a Sunday afternoon drive-by shooting in Moses Lake.
Sergio Higuera, 20, is accused of shooting at a moving vehicle on State Route 17 near Moses Lake. The shooting closed SR 17 for nearly four hours on Sunday and left two people critically injured. Higuera appeared in Grant County Court on Monday, where it was revealed he told police he was acting in self-defense.
Kyle Foreman, the public information officer for the Grant County Sheriff's Office (GCSO), told KREM 2 the incident began when the suspect, later identified as Higuera, said a car was driving too slow in front of him.
“What did happen was something that happened on the roadway, which caused someone else to get their temper flared up and it escalated to the point where a shooting happened," Foreman said.
Higuera claimed the car moved over and the passenger "flashed" a handgun at him.
According to court documents, Higuera reacted by pulling out a gun and shooting at least two rounds at the car. He reportedly also told police he is a member of a gang and thought the passengers in the other car were members of another gang, causing him to act in self-defense.
Police identified two 18-year-old victims, stating one was shot in the head and the other was shot in the shoulder.
"We now have one person who’s on life support and another whose injuries require extensive life care," Foreman said.
Higuera appeared in court Monday, facing two counts of assault and one count of drive-by shooting. The state asked a Grant County judge to impose a $75,000 bond, given Higuera's lack of criminal history.
The judge still saw Higuera as a potential threat to the community and set his bond at $100,000. He is set to be back in court on Nov. 20.
"Law enforcement is working very hard to keep these from happening because they pose a risk to anybody who's not associated with the original crime," Foreman said. "If there's people out and around the area and a shooting happens, one stray bullet can strike someone, injure them or kill them."
The investigation into the incident is ongoing and both cars have been taken in as evidence for further review.
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