VANCOUVER, Wash. (KOIN) — Snapchat was the communication tool of choice between the 18-year-old who was shot to death in a Vancouver parking lot and the 3 teen suspects believed to have killed him while stealing marijuana.
Gage Kiser and 3 other youths were in a white Jeep Cherokee in the Pacific 63 shopping center parking lot around 2:30 p.m. Monday to sell some marijuana, probable cause documents obtained by KOIN 6 News revealed.
Witnesses told investigators a black Audi or Mercedes with tinted windows pulled into the parking lot and backed into a spot. A young man carrying a small revolver got out of the back seat on the driver’s side and walked over to the Jeep, a witness said, right before gunshots rang out. The youth ran back to the black car and sped off, “driving erratically” as it headed west on NE 63rd Street.
Kiser was shot 4 times and died at the scene.
Three teens were arrested within days of the crime and all face a murder charge. They are 17-year-old Terrance Busby, 15-year-old Tristan Cienfuegos and 15-year-old Oriley Huynh.
Investigation and probable cause
Investigators got a search warrant and used a forensics program to help glean information from the cellphones of both Kiser and the alleged getaway driver, 17-year-old Terrance Busby.
That’s when it was learned Snapchat was used to communicate between Kiser and Busby in the hours leading up to the drug-buy rendezvous and shooting.
Further investigation led to a connection between Kiser, Busby and 15-year-old Tristan Alexander Cienfuegos. Another search warrant for the black Mercedes allegedly driven by Busby found the license plate actually registered for that car was in the trunk, while a stolen license plate was posted. The car is owned by Busby’s father.
The 3 youths who were in the Jeep at the time Kiser was shot identified Cienfuegos as the person who was going to buy the marijuana, got into the Jeep and inspected it.
Investigators said “it is clear that Tristan Cienfuegos was instrumental in the planned robbery and murder of Gage Kiser. It is apparent that Tristan showed up to the arranged meeting with the intention to rob Gage of his marijuana. He made no attempt to pay for the marijuana and intentionally passed the marijuana out of the car to a third male who subsequently shot and killed Gage Kiser,” the probable cause statement said.
When Cienfuegos was arrested Wednesday, “he admitted he set up the robbery” and “did not have the money to pay for the marijuana and planned to rob Gage. He said Terrance drove them in his black car and Oriley was the muscle.”
Oriley is Oriley Huynh. On Wednesday, investigators matched witness descriptions of the shooter to Huynh.
He was arrested and, after he was read his Miranda rights, told detectives he and Cienfuegos approached the Jeep. Cienfuegos took the marijuana and ran away with it. “The driver (of the Jeep) kicked his door open and reached towards the center console. Oriley stated he drew his revolver and fired once at the driver in the back. He continued to shoot at the driver, taking a two-hand grip and aiming at center mass. He fired all 5 rounds in the revolver. After the revolver went empty and started making a click noise Oriley ran to the Mercedes,” the probable cause documents said.
Huynh also allegedly said he did not see a gun in Kiser’s hand, and that he destroyed the gun and got rid of it in multiple locations. “He later changed his story about how he got rid of the gun.”
Busby, Cienfuegos and Huynh are all charged with murder.