Shooting took place on March 11 in the parking lot of an area Safeway store
The Vancouver Police Department has made a second arrest in the investigation of a shooting that took place March 11 in the parking lot of a Vancouver Safeway store.
On Monday (March 20) at about 5 a.m., Vancouver Police detectives, with assistance from Portland Police Bureau SERT, the Vancouver Police Department Safe Streets Task Force and Vancouver Police Department Neighborhood Response Team, served a search warrant at a residence in the 10800 block of SE Stark Street in Portland and arrested 21-year-old Austin J. Bell. Bell was wanted in connection with the March 11 murder, assault and drive-by shooting investigation that occurred in Vancouver.
Bell is currently lodged in the Multnomah County Jail awaiting extradition to Clark County to face charges of Murder I, Assault I and Drive-By Shooting.
On Wednesday (March 15) at 3:20 a.m., Vancouver Police arrested 28-year-old Nicholas Martinell-Sterling at a residence in the 7900 block of NE Burton Rd. in Vancouver. Sterling was booked into the Clark County Jail for Murder I, Assault I and Drive-By Shooting.
On March 11 at about 11:35 p.m., several males were involved in a confrontation at the Safeway located at 6701 E Mill Plain Blvd. in Vancouver. As two of the males left the store, the suspects fired multiple rounds at them. The victims were able to get into their vehicle and drive toward a nearby hospital. The suspects followed and fired additional rounds at the vehicle as they were nearing the hospital.
One of the victims, a 28-year-old male was pronounced deceased at the hospital. He was later identified by the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office as Henry Gonzalez Carmona, a resident of Vancouver. The other three victims, a 42-year-old male, a 35-year-old male and a 36-year-old female also suffered gunshot wounds.
The Vancouver Police Department Major Crime Unit, Safe Streets Task Force, Neighborhood Response Team, Property Crime Unit and Traffic Unit assisted with the response. The Major Crime Unit is continuing the investigation.
Information provided by Vancouver Police Department.
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