Boise police say a 22-year-old Caldwell woman killed in an Aug. 30 drive-by shooting was not the intended target. Two teenagers are now in custody, but detectives say the investigation into the attack at a crowded Clement Road house party remains open.
Police announced the arrests on Sept. 3, four days after officers and firefighters were called to the 3900 block of West Clement Road just before 6 a.m. The shooting left one woman dead, no other reported injuries and a neighborhood facing the aftermath of gunfire directed at an occupied home.
Police say the victim was not the target
Officers arriving at the residence found an adult woman with a gunshot wound on the front porch. Boise Fire crews and Ada County Paramedics attempted lifesaving measures, but she died at the scene. A local news report identified her as Destiny Gonzalez, 22, of Caldwell.
The home was being used as a short-term vacation rental, according to Boise Police. A large number of people were inside for a party when someone in a sedan-style vehicle fired multiple rounds at the residence. Officers secured the property, evacuated the occupants, cleared every room and began interviewing witnesses.
Detectives later said they did not believe Gonzalez was the intended target. Police said the available evidence suggests the shooter was aiming at the party or at one or more people attending it. Authorities have not publicly identified the suspected target or announced a motive.
That distinction is central to the case. A person standing outside a crowded home died even though, according to investigators, the gunfire was meant for someone else. It also means detectives still have to establish why the house was targeted and what led to the shooting.
Arrests stretched across the Treasure Valley
Boise Police identified the adult suspect as Ulisses Macareno, 18, of Meridian. Detectives obtained arrest warrants and took him into custody at a Meridian home with help from Meridian Police. He was booked into the Ada County Jail on a charge of first-degree murder by aiding and abetting.
A 17-year-old boy was arrested at a home in Caldwell with assistance from Caldwell Police and Nampa Police. He was booked into the Canyon County Juvenile Detention Center on a first-degree murder charge. His name has not been released because he is a juvenile.
Police allege that the 17-year-old fired the weapon and that Macareno drove the vehicle. Those statements describe the investigators' current evidence and the basis for the arrests. They are not findings of guilt. Both cases must proceed through the courts, where the allegations can be tested and the defendants retain the presumption of innocence.
The arrests also required coordination across Boise, Meridian, Caldwell and Nampa. Boise Police Chief Chris Dennison credited violent-crimes detectives for identifying the suspects and gathering evidence for the warrants. He also thanked the neighboring departments and community members who supplied information.
The case is not finished
An arrest answers who police believe was in the vehicle. It does not yet answer every question about the shooting. Authorities have not publicly explained the relationship, if any, between the suspects and the party, who they believe was targeted or what evidence connected each teenager to the attack.
The department's earlier appeal sought information, photos and video from people who attended the party, as well as rideshare drivers who made pickups or drop-offs nearby between 2:30 and 6 a.m. Police said investigators were canvassing the area for witnesses and recordings while following incoming tips.
The criminal charges now move the case into a more public accountability process. Prosecutors will have to present evidence supporting the allegations, defense attorneys can challenge that evidence and judges will determine how each case proceeds. Because one suspect is a juvenile, some information may remain limited under the rules governing juvenile matters.
For Gonzalez's family, the speed of the arrests cannot undo the loss. It does show that witness cooperation and fast work across four local police departments can move a violent case from an unanswered attack toward a courtroom. The remaining test is whether the evidence explains why a crowded Boise home was fired upon and delivers a lawful accounting for the young woman who was killed.