FORKS — A man and a woman were in custody at the Forks jail on Saturday in the Thursday night shooting death of Antonio Rodriguez-Maldonado.
In custody are Kellie L. White, 32, of Forks — who police identified as Rodriguez-Maldonado’s ex-girlfriend — and her friend, 45-year-old Etienne L. Choquette, also of Forks.
White was arrested shortly before 10 a.m. Friday for investigation of conspiracy to commit murder after being questioned by authorities at the Forks Police Department.
Choquette was arrested at about 3:30 p.m. Friday at his home on investigation of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, Police Chief Mike Powell said.
Cache of weapons
Twenty-two guns — high powered rifles and handguns — were found at the residence, when police searched it, Powell said.
Rodriguez-Maldonado, 33, of Forks was shot to death at about 11 p.m. in downtown Forks, on Campbell Street, between Ash Avenue and Sol Duc Way.
He was found face down in the street and was transported to Forks Community Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:48 p.m.
Rodriguez-Maldonado’s only confirmed relative in Forks is his mother, Katrina Rodriguez, Powell said.
His death is the second homicide this year in Forks.
The first was the stabbing death of Victor Aguilar Godínez in May. Marcelino Godínez Pérez was deported to Guatemala after charges were dropped that case.
“It’s shocking for the Police Department and the community,” Powell said.
“We had not had any murders in years, and now we had two in six months.”
Black Blazer
A witness, who reported hearing three gunshots, told police that two people fled the scene in a black Chevrolet Blazer that was later identified as belonging to Choquette, Powell said.
Powell said witnesses told police that the Blazer was parked in the middle of the road in close proximity to where Rodriguez-Maldonado was found.
The second man reported at the scene is considered a “person of interest” but not a suspect, he said Saturday. No information on that man has been released.
White and Rodriguez-Maldonado had been dating on and off for a couple years and had broken up at least a month ago, said Powell and Forks Mayor Nedra Reed, who was acting as a press contact for the investigation.
Powell said White has three children, who are staying with other family members.
He did not know if Rodriguez-Maldonado was the father of any of them.
Reed and Powell both declined to say how White is believed to have been involved in the shooting.
“I think the charges are pretty self-explanatory,” Reed said. “It would lend a bit of credibility to the fact that it was not a chance meeting with this suspect.
“I can’t comment any further than that.”
White wasn’t seen by witnesses at the scene of the murder, Powell said.
Reed confirmed that White was living in protective housing with the Forks Abuse Shelter prior to the shooting. Neither she nor Powell could comment on the circumstances of White going into protective housing.
Powell said it was unclear what happened during the moments prior to the shooting.
White’s 12-year-old son was at Choquette’s home at the Homestead Apartments, 505 Bogachiel Way, on Friday afternoon when Forks police, Clallam County sheriff’s deputies and the State Patrol arrived with a search warrant, he said.
Choquette surrendered to authorities within 20 minutes without incident, Powell said.
Police seized several handguns from a gun safe at the home in order to identify the murder weapon, Powell added.
Based on witness reports, police believe a handgun was used as the murder weapon, but no bullet casings were found at the scene.
Powell said that could mean a revolver was used, the shooter picked up the casings before leaving or that the shooting took place from inside the Blazer.
He said that, based on the witness saying they saw two men run into the nearby vehicle after hearing the gunshots, the shooting likely took place outside of the Blazer at close range.
An autopsy was done Friday, Reed said. Results were not available Saturday.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
