5 suspects face charges in deadly Ruddell Road shooting
Thurston County Sheriff’s Office has arrested five suspects in connection with a homicide related to a marijuana deal that went “tragically wrong.”
Olympia resident Alex Thomas-Anderson, 19, died from a gunshot wound to the chest the evening of Oct. 21. Deputies had responded to multiple shots fired at a home in the 6100 block of Ruddell Road near Chambers Prairie Elementary School.
The following suspects were arrested Friday and appeared in court Monday afternoon:
▪ A 17-year-old male suspect from Tacoma appeared Monday in Thurston County Juvenile Court with his arm in a sling. He will be charged as an adult and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in Thurston County Superior Court. The suspect, who will turn 18 on Nov. 21, faces one count of first-degree assault while armed with a deadly weapon.
▪ Tyler Nolanlee Bremer, 26, will be charged with one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver while armed with a deadly weapon. He has no prior criminal convictions, but has pending misdemeanor charges in two other counties, according to the court. Bail was set at $150,000 with an arraignment set for Nov. 10.
▪ Charles James Tate, 27, will be charged with one count of first-degree assault while armed with a firearm and one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver while armed. Bail was set at $150,000 with an arraignment set for Nov. 10.
▪ Mateo Antonio Quinntino Rodriguez, 18, will be charged with one count of second-degree assault while armed with a firearm and one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver while armed with a deadly weapon. Bail was set at $25,000 with an arraignment set for Nov. 10.
▪ A fifth suspect, a 21-year-old male, is still at Providence St. Peter Hospital and has not yet been arrested or charged with a crime, according to the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. He suffered a gunshot wound to his abdomen and a “grazing wound” to his side.
Court documents give the following account:
The shooting occurred at Tate’s residence on Ruddell Road, where the 17-year-old and 21-year-old suspects had arrived to buy 20 ounces of marijuana for $3,500. The two suspects began arguing with Bremer because they believed he was armed.
A short time later, the 17-year-old and Tate began to argue about money. The 21-year-old then pointed a gun at Bremer’s head, and they struggled on the couch. That’s when the 17-year-old allegedly pulled a gun from his pants and began shooting in the direction of Bremer.
A witness told detectives that the 17-year-old likely fired the shot that killed Thomas-Anderson, who had been sitting on the couch next to Bremer. Investigators say the suspect’s weapon was loaded with six hollow-point rounds and six slug-type rounds, and that the victim was likely shot by a hollow-point round.
Rodriguez, who had initially helped set up the marijuana deal, was standing near the 17-year-old when the shots were fired. Rodriguez took a gun away the 17-year-old suspect, then pointed the gun at another man in the room, told him to sit down and searched him for weapons. Rodriguez turned the gun over to law enforcement.
The 17-year-old and 21-year-old suspects fled the scene and were later located by law enforcement at the emergency room at Providence St. Peter Hospital. They had been dropped off by a white sedan that was registered to the 21-year-old man. The vehicle was seized as evidence, and blood was found inside, according to documents.
Bremer told detectives that he fired his gun once after the initial shot was fired at Thomas-Anderson. Tate told detectives that he had grabbed a gun once shots had been fired and shot at the 21-year-old suspect. Tate said he intended to kill the 21-year-old suspect and believed he shot him at least eight times.
According to documents, the shooting inside the home was recorded on video.
Thomas-Anderson’s mother, Shannan Anderson, attended Monday’s court hearing. She said her son was an innocent victim who got caught in the crossfire and died as a result of the suspects’ foolish decisions.
“My son just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said Anderson, noting that Alex would have celebrated his 20th birthday this Friday. “He was an all-around good kid.”
Alex Thomas-Anderson was a 2014 graduate of New Market Skills Center in Tumwater and had also attended Timberline High School. He was described by his mother as someone who kept to himself but was loyal to his family and friends.
The case is still under investigation. Thurston County Sheriff’s Sgt. Tim Rudloff said there may have been as many as 10 people present at the time of the shooting.
In a news release, the sheriff’s office said it is confident that “the primary responsible parties for Alex’s death are currently in custody.”
This story was originally published October 25, 2015 at 11:18 AM with the headline "5 suspects face charges in deadly Ruddell Road shooting."