Arraignments have been set for the five people charged in connection with Sunday’s double homicide investigation on Safari Dr.

Omar Martinez-Velez, 34, Luis Omar Robles-Vargas, 31, Alexi Martinez-Andino, 19, Luz A. Figueroa-Castillo, 29, and Raymond Jimenez Bencebi, Jr., 26 were each been charged Monday with a felony for second-degree murder. The charges are in connection with the shooting deaths of Kevilee Villegas-Melendez, 22 and Raymond Gonzalez Ortiz, 25 who were found dead Sunday morning in the 1900 block of Safari Dr. The felony charge carries a punishment range of 10-30 years or life imprisonment.

According to court documents all five of the defendants were in the area of Lion Rd. and Safari Dr. and had a loaded firearm at the time multiple rounds were fired from several weapons striking and causing the death of Villegas-Melendez and Ortiz. Each defendant is accused of firing numerous rounds at the victims striking both of them.

Each defendant is scheduled for an arraignment in Buchanan County court on Friday. Bond has been denied for each.

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – Recent and continued rain led to the closure of several routes in Northwest Missouri due to high water.

The Missouri Department of Transportation said situations can change quickly, especially during flooding. With the potential for more rain in the forecast, motorists are reminded to stay alert and to not drive through any water over the roadway. It only takes six inches of water (or less!) to lose control of your vehicle and possibly be swept into rising floodwaters. Any time there is water over the roadway, there may be damage to the road surface below. MoDOT is encouraging motorists to Turn Around! Don’t Drown!

NOW CLOSED:

Andrew County

Route 48 east side of Rosendale – Elm Street to County Road 168 (One Hundred Two River)
Route 48 west side of Rosendale – County Road 149 to Line Street (One Hundred Two River)
Route C in Rosendale at the Route 48 and Route C junction (One Hundred and Two River)
Route C in Rosendale from Sylvan Street to County Road 177 (One Hundred and Two River)
Route B at Bolckow from County Road 141 to Railroad Street (One Hundred and Two River)
Atchison County

Route 59 south of Tarkio from U.S. Route 136 to Route TT (Tarkio River)
NOW OPEN:

Atchison County

Route C from Route O to Route M (Little Tarkio River)

Charges have been filed against five people in connection with Sunday’s double homicide investigation on Safari Dr.

Omar Martinez-Velez, 34, Luis Omar Robles-Vargas, 31, Alexi Martinez-Andino, 19, Luz A. Figueroa-Castillo, 29, and Raymond Jimenez Bencebi, Jr., 26 have each been charged with a felony for second-degree murder.  The charges are in connection with the shooting deaths of Kevilee Villegas-Melendez, 22 and Raymond Gonzalez Ortiz, 25 who were found dead Sunday morning in the 1900 block of Safari Dr. The felony charge carries a punishment range of 10-30 years or life imprisonment.

According to court documents all five of the defendants were in the area of Lion Rd. and Safari Dr. and had a loaded firearm at the time multiple rounds were fired from several weapons striking and causing the death of Villegas-Melendez and Ortiz.  Each defendant is accused of firing numerous rounds at the victims striking both of them.

Also as we previously reported, Monday morning police shut down roads in the area of Delaware and Ashland avenue for a shooting investigation after shots were found to have been fired at a home and into a vehicle in the area of Delaware. The shots were believed to have been fired sometime Sunday. Police have said they are currently investigating that case in connection with the Safari shooting investigation.

Bond has been denied for each of the defendants, arraignment dates are unknown at this time.

The St. Joseph Police Department has identified the individuals shot and killed Sunday on Safari Dr.

Capt. Jeff Wilson said Kevin Villegas Melendez, 22 and Raymond Gonzalez Ortiz, 25 were the victims found dead Sunday morning in the 1900 block of Safari Dr. As we previously reported, officers were called out around 10:15 a.m. Sunday and found one man dead inside the van and one man dead outside of the vehicle.

Four people, three Hispanic men ages 34, 31, and 26 and one Hispanic woman age 29 were taken into custody in connection with the investigation Sunday night. Officers also seized several firearms they said are believed to be connected to the case.

Monday morning police shut down roads in the area of Delaware and Ashland avenue for a shooting investigation after shots were found to have been fired at a home and into a vehicle in the area of Delaware. The shots were believed to have been fired sometime Sunday. No one was believed to be injured during that incident. However, police said they are currently investigating that case in connection with the Safari double homicide investigation.

As of 3:23 p.m. charges have not been filed.

The discovery of shots fired at a home Monday morning on Delaware is believed by police to be tied to Sunday’s double homicide investigation. Roads were closed off Monday morning in the area of Delaware and Ashland Ave. for a shooting investigation.

Capt. Jeff Wilson with the St. Joseph Police Department told our reporter on scene that more than 10 shots were believed to be fired at a residence on Delaware about a half a block west of Ashland. No one was hurt during the incident and no one was believed to be at home at the time it took place.

“We can’t even confirm that anybody was in there,” Captain Wilson told reporters. “If someone’s in a residence when it’s shot at that’s an extremely dangerous situation, so it would be very fortunate if someone was in there that they weren’t struck.”

“All we can tell you for sure is that right now there is no one injured in that house when we went in and cleared it,” he said.

Wilson said investigators believe this incident is tied to a double homicide investigation that took place Sunday on Safari. The shots fired into the home on Delaware were believed to have been fired sometime overnight Sunday. Wilson said they do not know if the shooting incident was some kind of retaliation for the weekend homicides, and he would not confirm any gang connection.

As we previously reported, officers were called out on a report of shots fired at a van in the 1900 block of Safari Dr. around 10:18 a.m. Sunday. When officers arrived they found one person dead inside the van and one person dead outside of the vehicle.  The victims have been identified by police as two Hispanic men ages 25 and 22.

Police said four people were taken into custody Sunday evening in connection with the homicide investigation. Three Hispanic men ages 34, 31, and 26 and one Hispanic woman age 29.

Refresh this story for more information as we update.

St. Joseph Police are investigating a robbery of Pokémon Go players Sunday night. 

According to Sgt. Roy Hoskins, around 9:30 p.m., two individuals were playing the Pokémon Go game on their phones and looking for the virtual creatures in the 1500 block of McArthur Drive near the Nature Center. Hoskins said two white males jumped from a tree, one brandished a silver glock-style pistol and demanded wallets and phones and then both ran off into the woods. 

Hoskins said the suspects are described as white males, both in their 20s to early 30s, one approximately 5’7” to 5’9” weighing 150 lbs with his face covered with a bandanna. The other was approximately 5’7” weighing 150 to 170 lbs, with shaggy hair and a cloth or shirt over his face. 

Hoskins said anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the  TIPS Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS. 

Hoskins said during the middle to late part of last week they began receiving more and more calls during the midnight shift hours regarding people trespassing who are playing the Pokemon Go game. 

“Officers are now familiar with how (the game) works,” Hoskins said. “We’ve been trying to talk with people that make complaints and let them know what it is.” 

Hoskins said he cautions property owners to report trespassers before using any force. He also cautions Pokémon Go game players to always be aware of their surroundings and to be careful of whose property they enter as they may be there illegally.

(UPDATE 9:22 a.m. Monday) According to Sgt. Roy Hoskins, four suspects were taken into custody in relation to the double homicide Sunday morning.

Hoskins said more information should be released later today.

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The St. Joseph Police Department is investigating after two people were found dead Sunday morning on Safari.

According to Sgt. Roy Hoskins officers were called out on a report of shots fired at a van in the 1900 block of Safari Dr. around 10:18 a.m.  That location is in the area of St. Joseph commonly referred to as the Zoo due to street names in the vicinity.

Hoskins said when officers arrived they found one person dead inside the van and one person dead outside of the vehicle.

Crime Scene Investigators were called in to investigate the double homicide. Three blocks were shut down for around six hours while crews worked the scene.

Little information is being released at this time. Hoskins said anyone with information is asked to call the TIPS Hotline at (816) 238-TIPS.

Interpreting for the deaf is a role one local organization hopes to make a little easier through a new designation.

Midland Empire Resources for Independent Living (MERIL) said its Bridge Interpreting has now become a Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) approved sponsor.

“Interpreters are required to get professional development credit every year similar to doctors and lawyers,” said Harrison Jones an Interpreter Specialist with MERIL. “Bridge Interpreting has been providing those for several years now but we’ve always had to go through another agency to approve those for national credit. Now, Bridge Interpreting has received status where we can approve workshops and other professional development activities without having to go through another agency.”

Jones said the RID designation has been something MERIL has been working to attain for several months.

“We had to complete an online application to the national organizations that has approved us as sponsors. It required a lot of information about how we run our professional development, what our policies and procedures are and other information about what MERIL does,” Jones said.

Interpreters are needed for many different reasons.

“We send interpreters when requested for court, doctors appointments, anything like that,” Jones said. “We work with numerous different companies, businesses and things in the area.”

The program provides translators for the deaf in English and Spanish.

“We probably have about 100 to 150 individuals in the northwest Missouri area and we serve probably two to three times that in the Kansas City area as well,” Jones said.

For more information on the program contact MERIL at interpreters@meril.org or (816) 244-0834