VanMall shooting suspect fights extradition

The third suspect in a fatal shooting in the VanMall neighborhood is still in Oregon’s Washington County Jail, apparently fighting extradition to Clark County.

Zacheriah A. Douglas, 22, is suspected of shooting Vancouver resident Craig Moritz to death early Feb. 4 in a field in the 7700 block of Northeast Vancouver Mall Drive. Moritz, 21, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Douglas is wanted in Clark County on suspicion of first-degree murder in connection with Moritz’ death. He was arrested Feb. 5 in Forest Grove, Ore., on a parole violation. He has a fugitive hearing Thursday in Washington County Circuit Court.

Washington County sheriff’s Sgt. Vance Stimler said it appears that Douglas has not waived extradition to Clark County, which means he’s likely resisting it. Clark County will need to obtain a governor’s warrant to extradite him back to the state, Stimler said. He said after the governor’s warrant is issued, Douglas would be transported to Clark County.

Jonathan Hensey, 21, of East Wenatchee and Shawn Fortner, 19, of Bend, Ore., are being held on $500,000 bail and $750,000 bail, respectively, in Clark County Jail on suspicion of being accomplices in the shooting. They were arrested Feb. 4. Their arraignment is set for Feb. 19.

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 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, killing 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.

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