Alyssa Marie Vaught-Barr, 26, remains in jail as police continue searching for the alleged shooter.
PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — The woman police say was driving the car connected to the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Braylon Diaz was charged with murder on Tuesday.
Alyssa Marie Vaught-Barr, 26, pleaded not guilty. She remains in jail on $1 million bail as police continue searching for the alleged shooter.
Braylon and his girlfriend, Katelyn Zuniga, were walking to her home from Braylon’s father’s home on the evening of May 24 when a sedan pulled up to them. According to charging documents, the person in the rear passenger seat told Braylon to come closer, but Braylon refused.
The passenger told Vaught-Barr to reverse so they could get closer to the couple, and she did, court documents state.
The passenger then demanded Braylon’s necklace.
Braylon told Katelyn to stay back as he handed them the necklace. The rear passenger then took the necklace and shot Braylon in the abdomen at close range.
The suspected shooter has been identified as 21-year-old Brandon Torres-Mesa. A warrant was issued for his arrest. He’s been charged with aggravated first-degree murder, first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm.
The vehicle then took off as Katelyn called 911.
Detectives canvased the area and obtained surveillance footage showing the vehicle. Detectives also received video from Parkland residents, including video from one home that showed the occupants of the vehicle coming and going.
A relative of one of the people in the car was interviewed and confirmed Vaught-Barr was the driver at the time of the shooting.
Detectives compared photos of Vaught-Barr and with the woman seen in the security videos.
Vaught-Barr’s vehicle was found abandoned in Federal way. Documents inside the vehicle included the names of Vaught-Barr and her boyfriend, according to charging documents.
Cellphone data placed Vaught-Barr and the suspected shooter at the location of the shooting.
On May 27, Vaught-Barr called police and confirmed she was driving at the time. She also confirmed the name of the shooter. She said she was unaware of the shooter’s intentions at the time. She also said she tried to exit the car to help Braylon, but the shooter pulled her back in and hit her, before making her drive him to Federal Way.
Vaught-Barr also said nobody else was in the vehicle, contradicting statements and security video.
Vaught-Barr and her boyfriend were arrested in the early morning hours of June 1 while driving in Snohomish County. In that vehicle, they found a written statement “as if she pre-wrote a guide on what she wanted to say during the previous phone interview,” charging documents state. Another entry shows what detectives believe what a plan moving forward.
Detectives also found a 9mm firearm and the clothing they were wearing in some of the surveillance video. It appeared to detectives they were in the process of moving/relocating.
Vaught-Barr’s boyfriend was charged Tuesday for being a fugitive out of Oregon, where he’s been charged with criminal mischief, burglary and aggravated theft. He has not been charged for the fatal shooting of Braylon Diaz.
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