Authorities in Washington state are continuing their search for a suspect in the shooting death of a teenager in Parkland, a case that has already led to one person being charged. The Pierce County Sheriff's Office says it is still trying to locate Brandon Torres Mesa, the man it identifies as the suspect connected to the killing of 17-year-old Braylon Diaz on May 24.
According to investigators, the deadly encounter began as the teenager was simply out walking. Diaz was with his girlfriend near 102nd Street and Sheridan Avenue when a red car pulled up alongside them, with Torres Mesa in the back seat, turning an ordinary evening into the scene of a fatal confrontation in the Parkland area.
Court documents lay out what is alleged to have happened next. According to those records, Torres Mesa demanded that Diaz hand over his chain necklace, and the teenager complied with the demand. The robbery, however, did not end the encounter peacefully, despite Diaz giving up the item that was being demanded of him.
Investigators say that, after the necklace was handed over, Torres Mesa shot and killed the 17-year-old before the car drove off from the scene. The killing of such a young victim, in what authorities describe as a robbery that turned deadly, has placed added urgency on the effort to track down the suspect still being sought.
The case has already moved into the courts for one of those allegedly involved. The alleged getaway driver, identified as Alyssa Marie Vaught-Barr, appeared in court on Tuesday, where she was charged with first-degree murder over her alleged role in the incident that ended with the death of Braylon Diaz.
With the main suspect still at large, the Pierce County Sheriff's Office has warned the public to be cautious. Brandon Torres Mesa is considered armed and dangerous, and authorities are urging anyone who sees him not to approach him, but instead to call 911, as the search for the suspect in the teenager's death continues.