BELLINGHAM, Wash. — First responders were dispatched at 9:10pm, Friday, March 11th, to Roosevelt Park, in the 2200 block of Verona Street, due to reports of “a big fight” possibly with gunshots.
According to unconfirmed police dispatch radio transmissions at the time, witnesses reported multiple vehicles speeding away from the park in all directions.
Bellingham Police Department (BPD) officers radioed that the park was empty when they arrived, and soon after reported having located shell casings.
A detailed suspect vehicle description of a white Ford Mustang seen firing toward the park after an initial volley of gunshots was shared with law enforcement by radio.
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Click for more informationAccording to BPD Lieutenant Claudia Murphy in an email to Whatcom News, a Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) deputy located a white Ford Mustang driving abnormally slow on Woburn Street, away from the incident and pulled it over in the area of McLeod Road and Chandler Parkway. 4 males in the Ford were detained.
Eugenio Herrera-Duenas Jr, age 19, was sitting in the backseat on the driver’s side, and officers saw there was a handgun underneath him.
Officers also saw spent shell casings inside the Mustang, as well as one which fell to the ground outside of the car.
Herrera-Duenas was arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm and during a search incident to his arrest, the officer found four, unspent, 9mm rounds in his front pants pocket. These rounds matched the spent casings found in the Mustang. Herrera-Duenas admitted to officers he was in the park at the time of the shooting.
Click for more informationClick for more informationThe vehicle was later reported to have been impounded as evidence.
The driver of the Mustang, a juvenile, was detained, but did not wish to elaborate on his involvement in this case according to Murphy. He was arrested for drive-by shooting and booked into the Whatcom County Juvenile Detention Facility.
Another juvenile seated in the back passenger side, had a set of metal knuckles on the floor near his feet. He was arrested for being in possession of a dangerous weapon and booked into Whatcom County Juvenile Detention Facility.
Based on initial information, there were no reported injuries.
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Click for more informationHerrera-Duenas was booked into Whatcom County Jail and charged with suspicion of drive-by shooting and unlawful possession of a firearm. Officers discovered he is a convicted felon of crimes which prohibits him from possessing a firearm, along with the fact he is only 19 years of age.
Herrera-Duenas remained in custody without bail as of March 12th while awaiting a preliminary hearing in Whatcom County Superior Court.
This story was updated at 5:30pm, March 12th, with information received from the Bellingham Police Department.
Why are felons with many convictions still not in jail.? Why do the judges just slap their hands and turn them loose?
Watch. They will get a hearing bail set at some low ridiculous amount. Skip the area and never be seen again until they rob kill or shoot someone.
Why do they get low bail then never seen again?
Nice work BPD! They probably won’t be in jail for long and you’ll eventually have to deal with them again if they stay in the county, but that’s not your fault. Keep up the good work trying to keep our streets safe. Not everyone wants the police defunded, and not everyone wants laws eased. People who commit this kind of crime should not be on the streets even though no one got hurt. Someday these guys will kill someone.
Is this the same Eugenio Herrera-Duenas Jr. that played JV soccer for Lynden prior to the COVID lockdowns? Is this another unintended consequence of mandated school closures? Just asking.
The individual that was arrested was a convicted felon. That has nothing to do with school closures. Nice try. Just saying.