Man sentenced to 14 years in gang-related shooting

EVERETT — A teenage gang member, shackled and off to prison for the next 14 years, locked eyes Wednesday with the 15-year-old boy he nearly killed in a drive-by shooting over the summer.

The two belong to rival gangs whose beefs have erupted in gunfire in south Everett in recent months. One boy was killed in December in what detectives say was a retaliation-fueled shooting between territorial gangs.

Wednesday’s exchange in the courtroom made clear that the two sides haven’t made peace.

The 15-year-old filed out of the courtroom but not before sharing heated words with a group of people there to support the shooter, Juan Beteran Monrroy.

Marshals kept the group back while the boy and his companion left the courthouse.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Thomas Wynne sentenced Beteran Monrroy to 14 years in prison for first-degree assault with a firearm and drive-by shooting.

Beteran Monrroy, 19, declined to address the judge.

Earlier this week another defendant was in front of him for an assault charge involving a firearm, Wynne said. The community cannot tolerate this gun violence, the judge said.

The Aug. 16 shooting likely was a catalyst for a rash of other gang-related violence, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Bob Langbehn said Wednesday.

“It keeps coming up as the motivating factor for retaliation, among which, in my opinion, may have led to one death,” Langbehn said.

The 15-year-old and some other boys told detectives that they had gone looking for Beteran Monrroy, then 18, with the intention of beating him up. They were stopped at a light when Beteran Monrroy pulled up next to them.

He pointed a military-style rifle at the pickup carrying the victim and three other teens. They threw a knife and bat at the defendant’s car and sped off. Beteran Monrroy gave chase and fired at least six rounds at the pickup. The 15-year-old was struck near the armpit. The high-velocity round perforated his heart.

Beteran Monrroy, known on the street as “Scooby,” was arrested a short time later. Police found a loaded military-style rifle in the backseat of his car. They also found a .38-caliber revolver under the front passenger seat.

Public defender Jennifer Bartlett told the judge that her client has no prior criminal history. While the shooting is gang-related, Bartlett said that her client has been influenced by relatives. His brother is serving time for a similar crime, she said.

Wynne ordered Beteran Monrroy to stay away from the victim for the rest of his life.

The 15-year-old remains on probation in juvenile court. He purchased a stolen gun for $250 in the months after he was shot. He hid the gun from his parents but pulled it out Nov. 29 in front of his 11-year-old brother.

The teen accidentally shot the boy in the face while he was playing with the gun. The younger boy survived. The teen served 26 days in juvenile detention and was sentenced to a year of probation.

Investigators believe some of the same gang members were involved in a shooting in December that ended the life of 17-year-old Anthony Camacho. He was gunned down at a party near 124th Street SW and 4th Place W.

Guillermo Padilla, 16, recently pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the deadly gunfire. He handed the alleged shooter, Diego Tavares, the weapon that reportedly was used to kill Camacho. Tavares, 19, and Edgar Calixto, 16, remain charged with first-degree murder. Their trials are scheduled for June.

Padilla was in the pickup truck that was struck by Beteran Monrroy’s gunfire. He also obtained a gun after the drive-by shooting.

Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Snohomish County Health Department Director Dennis Worsham on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County Health Department director tapped as WA health secretary

Dennis Worsham became the first director of the county health department in January 2023. His last day will be July 3.

‘No Kings’ rallies draw thousands to Everett and throughout Snohomish County

Demonstrations were held nationwide to protest what organizers say is overreach by President Donald Trump and his administration.

Police Cmdr. Scott King answers questions about the Flock Safety license plate camera system on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace approves Flock camera system after public pushback

The council approved the $54,000 license plate camera system agreement by a vote of 5-2.

Cascadia College Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Midori Sakura looks in the surrounding trees for wildlife at the North Creek Wetlands on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Cascadia College ecology students teach about the importance of wetlands

To wrap up the term, students took family and friends on a guided tour of the North Creek wetlands.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Edmonds Mayor Mike Rosen goes through an informational slideshow about the current budget situation in Edmonds during a roundtable event at the Edmonds Waterfront Center on Monday, April 7, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds mayor recommends $19M levy lid lift for November

The city’s biennial budget assumed a $6 million levy lid lift. The final levy amount is up to the City Council.

A firefighting helicopter carries a bucket of water from a nearby river to the Bolt Creek Fire on Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022, on U.S. 2 near Index, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Snohomish County property owners can prepare for wildfire season

Clean your roofs, gutters and flammable material while completing a 5-foot-buffer around your house.

(City of Everett)
Everett’s possible new stadium has a possible price tag

City staff said a stadium could be built for $82 million, lower than previous estimates. Bonds and private investment would pay for most of it.

Jennifer Humelo, right, hugs Art Cass outside of Full Life Care Snohomish County on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘I’ll lose everything’: Snohomish County’s only adult day health center to close

Full Life Care in Everett, which supports adults with disabilities, will shut its doors July 19 due to state funding challenges.

Marysville is planning a new indoor sports facility, 350 apartments and a sizable hotel east of Ebey Waterfront Park. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New report shifts outlook of $25M Marysville sports complex

A report found a conceptual 100,000-square-foot sports complex may require public investment to pencil out.

Logo for news use featuring Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Snohomish County Board of Health looking to fill vacancy

The county is accepting applications until the board seat is filled.

A recently finished log jam is visible along the Pilchuck River as a helicopter hovers in the distance to pick up a tree for another log jam up river on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 in Granite Falls, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Tulalip Tribes and DNR team up on salmon restoration project along the Pilchuck River

Tulalip Tribes and the state Department of Natural Resources are creating 30 log jams on the Upper Pilchuck River for salmon habitat.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.