The Malheur County Circuit Court issued a felony warrant for Leonardo Rafael Arvizu in connection to a deadly shooting last month in Ontario. (The Enterprise/FILE).
ONTARIO – A felony warrant for a 23-year-old Nyssa man has been issued by the Malheur County Circuit Court in connection with the shooting death of two men last month.
Leonardo Rafael Arvizu has been indicted by a Malheur County grand jury for two counts of second-degree murder and two felony counts of unlawful use of a firearm. His bail is set at $500,000.
Police are searching for Arvizu now, said Malheur County District Attorney Dave Goldthorpe, and consider him dangerous.
“Anyone who would gun down two people in my mind is a dangerous person,” said Goldthorpe.
The charges stem from the shooting deaths of two men Oct. 24 at the Rosewood Apartments on Alameda Drive in Ontario.
Police responded to a report of multiple shots fired and discovered Martin Esteban Navarro, 38, Ontario, and Christian Holman, 45, Idaho, dead from gunshot wounds from a handgun.
Goldthorpe said Navarro was shot multiple times and Holman was shot once.
Goldthorpe declined to divulge more details on the case because it is still being investigated.
Goldthorpe said police believe there was a specific motive behind the slayings.
“It was not a random act,” said Goldthorpe. “We do have a consistent story and a motive and a reason for it explained by witnesses.”
Goldthorpe said the search for Arvizu is a “multi-state type of deal.”
News tip? Contact reporter Pat Caldwell at [email protected]
EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM – Available for $5 a month. Subscribe to the digital service of the Enterprise and get the very best in local journalism. We report with care, attention to accuracy, and an unwavering devotion to fairness. Get the kind of news you’ve been looking for – day in and day out from the Enterprise.