A Carnation man attempted to flee the country following an Issaquah murder last week and was recently caught by authorities at a bus stop north of Los Angeles.
Rigoberto Rodriguez-Macedo, 29, was arrested on Oct. 10 while allegedly fleeing to Mexico and is under investigation for the murder of Issaquah native, Christopher Rea. Rodriguez-Macedo will be extradited back to Washington where he will face accusations of murder in the second degree and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Rea was shot dead on Oct. 8 in his garage on the 26200 block of Southeast Black Nugget Road in Issaquah.
Rodriguez-Macedo’s brother claims to have partially witnessed the murder and called 911 to report Rea’s death. Initially the brother, who lived with Rea in an attached apartment, said he came home to find Rea dead, but later admitted he was home during the murder, in an interview with police.
The brother alleges that Rodriguez-Macedo was angry at Rea for unpaid work he had done for Rea’s company, King Landscaping. Rodriguez-Macedo allegedly grabbed a .22 rifle his brother kept in the apartment before murdering Rea and fleeing the scene.
Rodriguez-Macedo’s bail has been set at $2 million.
“In the present case, the defendant appears to have shot the victim for no other reason than a belief that the victim owed him wages,” wrote Senior Deputy Prosecutor John Castleton in charging papers. “After the shooting, the defendant attempted to discard the murder weapon and then fled the state in an effort to avoid apprehension.”
King County convicted Rodriguez-Macedo of a previous felony, burglary in the second degree, in March and he may have a DUI out of Idaho from 2010, court documents say.
Rodriguez-Macedo had told a friend on Oct. 9 “he had just purchased a new cell phone and was leaving everything behind and going to Mexico,” according to court documents.
“[This] is corroborated by the fact that the defendant was apprehended… at a bus terminal just north of Los Angeles,” Castleton wrote. “Detectives are currently on their way to California to attempt to interview the defendant.”
Rea was 43 years old. He graduated from Issaquah High School in 1994 and started King Landscaping the same year, according to his obituary.
Find updates online at www.issaquahreporter.com.
