Man held in Saturday shooting deaths outside Longview event hall
A Kelso man arrested on suspicion of committing a double homicide outside a gathering held at a rented Longview event space made his first appearance in front of a judge Monday afternoon.
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But whether the suspect will be allowed out of jail before his trial date is a matter the judge will decide later in the week.
Andres Carrasco Sanchez, 49, was appointed a public defender in a preliminary court appearance from the Cowlitz County Jail courtroom in connection with the reported shooting deaths of two men.
Carrasco Sanchez had not been formally charged with a crime by the Cowlitz County Prosecutor's Office as of Monday afternoon.
Judge Michael Evans, however, told Carrasco Sanchez that he had reviewed a probable cause affidavit filed by Longview police in his case.
Shooting suspect
Andres Carrasco Sanchez, 49, sits in the courtroom within the Cowlitz County Jail for a preliminary hearing on Monday, April 13. Carrasco is awaiting formal charges in connection with a double homicide reported Saturday night outside the AWPPW building.
"So there's enough for the case to move forward," Evans said with help from a Spanish translator who appeared via Zoom.
The affidavit was not yet public as of Monday afternoon, according to Cowlitz Superior Court records.
Carrasco Sanchez was booked in jail shortly after 3 a.m. Sunday, after Longview police arrested him on suspicion of first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and attempting to elude police in a vehicle in connection to the deaths of two men in the parking lot of a private event that was held at the AWPPW building at 724 15th Ave.
The AWPPW Local 153 president Ryan Campbell did not return a message seeking comment. A building manager, when reached, could only confirm that the building had been rented for a private event that night and did not involve the union for the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers.
Police say that roughly 200 people were inside the building when the shooting was first reported about 10:45 p.m. Saturday.
The shooting suspect fled in a vehicle, and police followed the vehicle west through the city before it circled back to the scene. A handgun thrown from the car during the pursuit was later recovered.
The private event was a quinceanera, according to a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign that was organized by a Kelso woman who identified one of the victims as her boyfriend.
According to GoFundMe spokesman Jeff Plat, the organizer chose to take down the campaign Monday afternoon after learning that the two men's burial costs were already covered. Platt, who spoke with the organizer, said that any funds raised will be sent to the two shooting victims' families in Mexico.
At 2:20 p.m. Monday afternoon, the crowdfunding campaign covering two victims' burial costs had raised $2,915 from 53 donations. By 3 p.m., the fundraiser was pulled.
Bail hearing scheduled for Thursday
Lawyer Eric Bentson with the Cowlitz County Prosecutor's Office asked during the hearing that Carrasco Sanchez's bail hearing be continued for later in the week.
Bentson said he seeks to argue that Carrasco Sanchez be held without bail until his trial date due to the nature of the crime.
During the hearing, Carrasco Sanchez was appointed a court-appointed defense lawyer through the Cowlitz County Office of Public Defense.
With the help of a translator, Carrasco Sanchez told the judge that he was currently working. He said no when asked whether he had any money in the bank.
His next court appearance will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include information from GoFundMe and why the campaign was pulled.
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