Kent Police arrested an Auburn man and juvenile male for investigation of murder and robbery in the June 2024 shooting of a Kent-Meridian High School student.
Valley SWAT and the Kent Police Special Investigations Unit arrested an Auburn man on Monday, June 9, according to a June 9 Kent Police news release. He was taken into custody without incident. Federal Way Police arrested an Auburn juvenile male on June 6 on an unrelated charge.
Over the past year, detectives conducted interviews and executed multiple search warrants, ultimately identifying two suspects involved in the homicide, according to police.
Cristopher Medina Zelaya, 18, was fatally shot June 3, 2024 in the city of Kent’s Campus Park parking lot, 9890 S. 252nd St., which is next to the school campus. He died from a gunshot wound of the head into the neck, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Witnesses reported hearing gunshots and seeing vehicles leave the area shortly after, according to Kent Police.
Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla said in June 2024 that police had “very strong leads” in the case.
“I have to be careful, but we have strong information as to why that act happened,” Padilla said during his Public Safety Report on June 18, 2024 to the Kent City Council. “I can confirm it was not a random encounter and I can confirm we have very strong leads.”
Padilla made the comments in response to a question from City Councilmember Zandria Michaud, who asked if the chief had any updates about the case.
Cristopher was the first of two Kent-Meridian High School students fatally shot in a three-day period.
Hazrat Ali Rohani, 17, was shot June 5, 2024 outside a Big 5 Sporting Goods Store in Renton. Aaron Brown Myers, of Newcastle, faces a second-degree murder charge in that case. Myers is on electronic home detention and faces a trial date of Sept. 9, although the trial date has been continued numerous times at the request of attorneys.
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