An 18-year-old man and teenager have been charged in relation to early morning drive-by shootings in Custer, Blaine and Ferndale that injured one person on July 24.
Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) deputies responded to the first drive-by shooting report about 1:15 a.m. July 24 on Willeys Lake Road near Custer after a bullet struck a female victim’s leg while she was in her bedroom, according to a WCSO release.
WCSO deputies found two bullets in the victim’s bedroom window and a third on the home’s siding. The victim received treatment for her injuries at St. Joseph Medical Center.
Blaine Police Department (BPD) then received a call about 1:30 a.m. from a resident who heard three gunshots near the 1600 block of Bayview Avenue, near Mary Avenue. Two officers responded and spoke with other witnesses who heard gunfire, but couldn’t find evidence of a shooting, according to a BPD news release.
Shots were fired shortly after in the Eastgate Loop area of Ferndale about 1:45 a.m.
Bellingham Police Department identified the suspect’s truck from a neighbor’s surveillance video and arrested Bellingham resident Alejandro Villa Herrera, 18, and a 17-year-old male at about 2:15 a.m. Herrera admitted to driving the truck while the 17-year-old fired shots, according to the WCSO release. A handgun and shell casings were recovered from the passenger side of the vehicle.
The WCSO initially developed probable cause to arrest Herrera for drive-by shooting and the 17-year-old boy for drive-by shooting and unlawful possession of firearm in the second-degree.
Later that morning, a Blaine resident reported a bullet hole in the front of their home where the gunshots were originally reported. Two officers found a second bullet hole on the home’s second floor when they arrived to investigate, according to BPD. BPD sergeant Brent Greene said one bullet was recovered.
On July 25, WCSO detectives were able to establish probable cause to connect Herrera and the boy to the drive-by shooting in Blaine. Detectives also discovered the firearm used in the shootings was reported stolen out of Bonney Lake in February.
Herrera and the boy received additional charges of drive-by shooting, second-degree assault and possession of a stolen firearm, according to WCSO.
Herrera is being held in lieu of a $25,000 appearance bond or $2,500 cash, according to Whatcom County Jail booking data.
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