Sunnyside man accused of shooting neighbor in dog dispute charged with assault

YAKIMA — A Sunnyside man accused of shooting a neighbor in an argument over their dogs’ fighting has been charged with first-degree assault.

Joel A. Barajas-Gonzalez, 35, was charged Feb. 15 in Yakima County Superior Court. He is scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 27.

Yakima County sheriff’s deputies were called to the 3000 block of Outlook Road around 9 p.m. Feb. 10 for a shooting. Deputies found a man lying in his front yard bleeding from his right leg, according to court documents.

He told deputies that he had been arguing with Barajas-Gonzalez, his neighbor, over Barajas-Gonzalez’s dog fighting with his, the documents said, and was walking back toward his house when he heard three gunshots and felt at least one hit his leg.

Barajas-Gonzalez initially did not comply with deputies’ orders to come out from behind his house, but eventually did and was arrested, the affidavit said. As he was frisked, deputies found several .22-caliber bullets in the suspect’s pockets, the affidavit said, which deputies said were consistent with the victim’s wounds.

He is currently being held in the Yakima County jail in lieu of $250,000 bail. He is also barred from contacting the victim.