Investigators looking at connection between Sundberg murder and Royal City death

The Grant County Sheriff's Office says two Othello women have been arrested in connection to a December, 2016 shooting near Royal City that killed one man and wounded another. Two of the alleged shooters are already jailed for the murder of Jill Sundberg near George 13 days later but Sheriff's deputies are investigating the involvement of two other males in the Royal City case and any connection to the Sundberg murder.

Eustolio Campuzano, 27, and Paula Rodriguez Cuevas, 29, are lodged in the Grant County Jail for suspicion of first degree assault.

Both women came to the attention of detectives investigating the SR26 shooting which killed 28-year-old Arturo Sosa and critically injured 33-year-old Jose Rafael Cano Barrientos, both of Othello.

According to a probable cause statement submitted to the Grant County Prosecutor, detectives described Campuzano as Sosa's ex-girlfriend. She had expressed to Cuevas that Sosa had allegedly treated her badly and physically abused her during their relationship. Cuevas had asked why Campuzano didn’t do anything about Sosa’s alleged behavior. Campuzano said she wanted to give Sosa a beating so he couldn’t get involved with other women.

Cuevas later introduced Campuzano to three males at what was possibly a meeting at Shady Tree RV Park near George. Investigators believe a plan was hatched to assault Sosa. Two of the males are were believed to be Fernando Marcos Gutierrez and Julio Albarran Varona. Both are currently jailed in connection to the December 22, 2016 killing of Jill Sundberg near George.

On the night of December 8, 2016, Gutierrez, Varona and two unidentified males came to Cuevas’s and Campuzano’s home in Othello in a GMC Yukon and in another vehicle, possibly in a pickup. The pickup left shortly after but the Yukon and four men stayed behind. The men were armed with rifles and handguns and were consuming beer and hard liquor inside Cuevas’s home until the early morning hours of December 9th.

Around 4:00 a.m., Gutierrez, Varona, Campuzano and one of the other men drove off in the Yukon. Cuevas was allegedly still asleep and stayed at the home with the remaining male.

The group in the Yukon spotted Sosa’s Ford Explorer driving west out of town and began following on SR26. Sosa and Barrientos were enroute to work in Royal City. Near the intersection with SR262 just east of Royal City, the driver of the Yukon flashed the headlights which prompted Sosa to stop his car. Gutierrez and Varona, allegedly armed with rifles and handgun, got out and confronted Sosa and Barrientos. Sosa and Barrientos were forced back into Sosa’s Explorer and driven west on SR26.  Campuzano and the third man followed followed in the Yukon.

During the drive, a struggle broke out in Sosa’s Explorer. Barrientos was shot in the upper chest and injured and Sosa was shot in the head and killed. Gutierrez and Varona then took Campuzano up to Sosa’s vehicle and made her look at his body. Varona and Gutierrez allegedly threatened Campuzano, telling her, “You talk, and the second person you see is your son.”

The group then drove the Yukon to the Shady Tree RV Park near George, and after about 90 minutes drove back to Cuevas's home in Othello.

When the group arrived, Cuevas was told what had happened. One of the men allegedly held a gun to her head and threatened to kill her if she spoke of the shooting.

Forensic evidence obtained at the SR26 homicide scene matches that of suspect Fernando Marcos Gutierrez.

The Grant County Sheriff's Office investigation continues. Beside the involvement of Fernando Marcos Gutierrez and Julio Albarran Varona's in both the Sosa and Sundberg killings, it is not known if the murder of Sosa played any role in the death of Jill Sundberg.