- Bonifacio Oseguera-Gonzalez, 29, has been charged with three murder counts related to June 27 shooting at a farm near Portland
- He’s accused of killing Ruben Rigoberto-Reyes, 60; Edmundo Amaro-Bajonero, 26; and Katie Gildersleeve, 30, of Logsden
- A witness said he heard an argument that descended into gunfire
- Oseguera-Gonzalez was stopped trying to make a ‘getaway’, police claim
- The shooting is not linked to the legal pot-growing operation, cops said
- Immigration officials say he had no significant prior criminal convictions
An illegal immigrant from Mexico who was charged with aggravated murder in the shooting deaths of three people at a rural Oregon blueberry farm had been deported six times.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Bonifacio Oseguera-Gonzalez, 29, was most recently deported in 2013 and had no significant prior criminal convictions.
Oseguera-Gonzalez pleaded not guilty to three counts of aggravated murder and one count of attempted murder Tuesday in Marion County Superior Court.
However, he acknowledged to authorities in an interview that he shot four people, according to a probable cause statement.
The victims were identified as Ruben Rigoberto-Reyes, 60; Edmundo Amaro-Bajonero, 26; and Katie Gildersleeve, 30, of Logsden.
Authorities have released few details about the case, including the relationship between Oseguera-Gonzalez and the victims, and have declined to specify a motive.
On June 27, police were alerted to the shooting at 11.05am and on arrival 15 minutes later, found the wounded victims: Rigoberto-Reyes and Amaro-Bajonero were pronounced dead at the scene, while Gildersleeve died in a hospital later.
Another man who was injured is in critical condition, but is able to speak with investigators. His name has not been released as of yet.
The Oregon State Police arrested Oseguera-Gonzalez a few hours later on Interstate 84 in the Columbia River Gorge, about 100 miles northeast of Woodburn.
‘He definitely was trying to make a getaway,’ Marion County Lt Chris Baldridge, told the channel. ‘Luckily we were able to stop him and take him into custody without incident.’
As the shooting took place a terrified witness, 19-year-old Ricardo Bajonero, kept in contact with his brother Carlos, 26, The Portland Tribune reported.
‘Brother, help I’m afraid. I heard many gunshots outside and many men,’ the teen, who lives next door to the farm texted.
He told his brother that he heard men arguing, followed by gunshots. ‘He kept saying he didn’t know what to do,’ Carlos told the site.
Carlos told his brother to alert police, who arrived around 15 minutes later.
They questioned Ricardo before reuniting him with his brother.
Another neighbor, Doug Mosely, said that he only heard one gunshot, which he thought was due to hunters that are common in the area, before he saw police cars converging on the location.
Police found one of the men dead outside a farmhouse on the farm, which is located at 13436 Killiam Road Northeast. Another was found dead inside.
In addition, police said they had been called out to the farm on a number of occasions to deal with complaints about large parties there.
The farm primarily grows blueberries, but also has a legal marijuana growing operation. However, police say they believe that is not connected to the shootings.
ICE asked Oregon authorities to turn Oseguera-Gonzalez over to them if he’s released from custody in the current case, the agency said in a statement to The Associated Press on Friday.
His attorney, Deborah Burdzik, did not immediately return a call seeking comment about his immigration status.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump tweeted about the case Friday, saying the suspect ‘should have never been here.’
It’s unclear how Oseguera-Gonzalez returned to the Unites States and traveled to Oregon.
Authorities say he had frequented the home where the horrific shooting took place.
The family of Gildersleeve have set up a GoFund Me page with hopes to raise money for her funeral expenses.
Police say that she was the girlfriend of a man who lived at the farm, but was not present at the time of the shooting.
Her mother, Linda Patt, is heartbroken about her daughter’s tragic death.
‘She’s gone. She’s gone and I can’t bring her back,’ Patt told KOIN. ‘There’s nothing I can do to bring her back.
‘Everyone will remember Katie for her sweet disposition and her beautiful smile and her ability to make you laugh and think everything’s going to be alright and to give you hope that life can be good,’
Patt is hoping that she can come face-to-face with Oseguera-Gonzalez in court.
‘Do you know what you’ve taken from me? Do you even care what you’ve taken from us? Why? Give me a reason. Because God above, I want to forgive you and I know I should, but I can’t and I want an answer,’ Patt said.