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Vancouver police name third suspect in fatal VanMall shooting

Zacheriah A. Douglas, 22, was arrested Wednesday

By Paris Achen
Published: February 5, 2014, 4:00pm

Vancouver police have identified the third suspect in Tuesday’s fatal shooting in the VanMall neighborhood as Zacheriah A. Douglas, 22.

Douglas was arrested about 4 p.m. Wednesday in Forest Grove, Ore., on a parole violation. He is suspected of being the gunman in the shooting death of Craig Moritz, 21, of Vancouver. Moritz’ body was found just before 3 a.m. Tuesday in a field in the 7700 block of Northeast Vancouver Mall Drive. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Douglas is being held in the Washington County Jail pending extradition to Clark County on a charge of first-degree murder.

Jonathan Hensey, 21, of East Wenatchee and Shawn Fortner, 19, of Bend, Ore., were arrested Tuesday in Vancouver on suspicion of being accomplices in the shooting. They are being held on $500,000 bail and $750,000 bail, respectively, in Clark County Jail. Their arraignment is set for Feb. 19.

The Columbian learned of Douglas’ arrest within minutes of when it happened Wednesday from a source close to the investigation, but Vancouver police would not confirm his identity until Thursday afternoon, despite repeated requests by The Columbian.

Wednesday’s arrest concluded a 36-hour manhunt for Douglas.

The fatal shooting was the result of “a drug deal gone bad,” Clark County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Kasey Vu said.

According to a court affidavit, Moritz and his friend, Aaron Smith, went to a spot along Northeast Vancouver Mall Drive to sell Fortner some marijuana. Fortner and Hensey picked up Moritz and Smith in a minivan and drove them a short distance to a parking lot in the same block.

In the parking lot, a masked man emerged from the back of the minivan and held Moritz and Smith at gunpoint, the affidavit says. Smith told police that the masked man threatened to shoot them and demanded that they hand over all of their belongings.

Smith and Moritz were attempting to flee when the masked man shot Moritz in the back and killed him, according to the affidavit. Fortner later admitted to police that he, Hensey and the third man had met Moritz and Smith to rob them of their drugs, the affidavit says.

Vancouver police said they continue to investigate the fatal shooting.

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