A third individual found alive with critical injuries at the scene of a double homicide in Battle Ground on Tuesday, June 3, has now been identified as the suspect in the killings.
Battle Ground police have identified Evaristo “Junior” Vela, 40, as a suspect in the alleged murders that occurred at a residence in the 2100 block of Northeast Second Avenue in Battle Ground, according to a news release update by the Battle Ground Police Department.
The update also stated that the two deceased individuals, a male and a female, were both in their late 30s.
“There is a male and a female. We do believe that at least two are familial, and we don’t know the relationship of the third person,” Battle Ground Police Chief Dennis Flynn said at the scene on Tuesday.
The case will be forwarded to the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for review, the release added. Vela remains under medical care in an area hospital. The release did not provide an update on his condition.
Police began investigating the Tuesday morning incident as a double homicide Tuesday afternoon. Officers with the Battle Ground Police Department (BGPD) and Clark County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the home in the 2100 block of Northeast Second Avenue just before 10 a.m. and found two people deceased and one injured from varying wounds, Flynn told The Reflector at the scene earlier in the day.
The call from a family member who arrived at the house and found three people on the ground was received by 911 dispatchers at 9:57 a.m. on Tuesday, June 3.
The incident happened in a neighborhood still under construction with few homes occupied, but the residence where the incident occurred had been occupied in the last month or two, Flynn said. Flynn also made note that there has not been a homicide in Battle Ground city limits in at least five years.
The Battle Ground Police Department was assisted by the Clark County Major Crimes Team in the investigation.
