13-year-old charged in shooting death of Shoreline friend

Associated Press

SEATTLE — A 13-year-old Shoreline boy has been charged with first-degree manslaughter in last week’s shooting death of a 16-year-old friend.

The 13-year-old and a young companion dragged the mortally wounded teen into some woods and left him, never calling for help because a courtroom drama one had seen on TV made them fearful of a life sentence.

Rudolpho Antonio Monillas told a King County sheriff’s deputy that he was twirling a stolen .38-caliber revolver when it discharged, striking Dustin Alan Rakestraw of Seattle in the forehead on Oct. 16, according to charging papers filed Tuesday in King County Superior Court.

But another young witness told authorities that Monillas and Rakestraw were arguing about unloading the gun. Monillas pointed it at Rakestraw, and Rakestraw yelled, trying to swipe the gun away with his hand. The gun went off, and Rakestraw fell, according to the account from Daniel Dahl, 13.

Dahl told authorities he and Monillas dragged Rakestraw — who was gasping for breath — about 20 feet to a secluded corner of some woods near the Shoreline branch of the King County Public Library. They ditched the gun in a retaining pond 14 blocks away, charging papers said.

Rakestraw’s body was reported to police two days later. Authorities say several children from nearby Kellogg Middle School had seen it lying in the bushes, but didn’t tell any adults, either out of fear or because they didn’t think it was a real body.

Dahl and Monillas told investigators that Rakestraw had stolen the gun from his family’s landlord. The weapon was reported stolen Oct. 21, prosecutors said.

Rakestraw had brought the gun to the library, prosecutors said, and left the library to show it off. Dahl said Monillas put a bullet in the gun, cocked it and then couldn’t get the bullet out. When Rakestraw asked Monillas to return the weapon, Monillas refused, Dahl said.

That’s when Monillas pointed the gun at Rakestraw, Dahl told detectives.

Dahl said the boys thought about reporting the shooting but decided against it. Dahl said he had seen an episode of "Law and Order" in which someone was sentenced to life in prison for an accidental killing, and the boys were afraid, charging papers said.

Monillas told friends that Rakestraw had been shot, which is how investigators found out, the papers said.

If convicted, Monillas faces a standard sentencing range of 10 to 15 months, but prosecutors might seek a longer sentence, said King County prosecutor’s spokesman Dan Donohoe. He could be held until he turns 21.

Dahl has been charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance, Donohoe said. That carries a standard sentence of 30 days.