YAKIMA, Wash. – A Yakima man was found guilty by a jury on Mon., March 25 for first degree murder, according to court documents.
According to a probable cause document, Jonathan Hidalgo, 21, shot and killed his stepfather, 45-year-old Charles Mills, on the evening of Jan. 27, 2021.
Court documents say Hidalgo called 911 after shooting Hidalgo in the head. Yakima Police officers arrived and detained Hidalgo before performing first aid and CPR to Mills.
Three women and a six-year-old girl were also in the home during the incident and were brought to the Yakima Police Department for interviews.
Hidalgo was put under arrest. In an interview, he told officers that he believed that Mills had molested his niece, the six-year-old girl who was in the home.
Court documents say he admitted to shooting Mills in the head after believing he had witnessed the molestation.
After the shooting, Hidalgo told his niece that she needed to say Mills had touched her. He also claimed that he made a video of her saying so.
Detectives performed a forensic interview with the six-year-old. She did not report any sexual abuse.
Per court documents, the maximum penalty for first degree murder is life imprisonment and/or a $50,000 fine.
Hidalgo’s sentencing hearing is on April 15.
