Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Dedicated to the citizens of Mason County, Washington since 1886
Four people have been arrested in the Jan. 4 slaying of a Kitsap County man whose body was found near Camp Lyle McLeod on the Tahuya Peninsula, about 5 miles west of Belfair.
The suspects have been charged in the shooting death Alejandro Rodriguez, 27, a Kitsap County resident.
Brenda Maja Hudson-Culp, 27, Breanna Lynn Stewart, 24, Crystal Marie Dodson, 45, and Jacob Elijah Joe Ualika, 23, were all arrested in connection to the slaying. All four were charged with one count of murder in the first-degree Tuesday in Mason County court, according to Mason County Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Tim Whitehead. Hudson-Culp, Stewart and Dodson all made initial appearances in court Jan. 6 and Ualika made his first appearance Monday in Mason County Superior Court.
All four are being held on $500,000 bail and are scheduled for an arraignment hearing Jan. 17.
According to Chief Criminal Deputy of Investigations Jacob Dracobly, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office received a call Jan. 4 from a resident who came across a body in a wooded area near Camp Lyle McLeod and Bennettsen Lake. The body was later identified as Rodriguez, who was homeless and known to be living in the Bremerton area.
“All (of the suspects and deceased are) from the Kitsap County area,” Dracobly told the Journal. “The guys (Mason County Sheriff’s Office) were up there making arrests with Bremerton police assisting. They knew the people and the players. They know their criminal element up there.”
Mason County Coroner Jaime Taylor said an autopsy showed the cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the torso. It was determined Rodriguez was shot in the chest and head.
Dracobly said the investigation “opened up a lot” Jan. 5 with the assistance of the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office and the Bremerton Police Department. Detectives found two
9 mm shell casings in the brush next to where Rodriguez’s body was found.
According to court documents, Mason County deputies learned Rodriguez had multiple law enforcement contacts with a woman believed to be his girlfriend, Hudson-Culp, who initially provided a statement saying she had no knowledge of Rodriguez’s death.
They interviewed another person who knew Hudson-Culp. That person said she went to Belfair on Jan. 2 with Rodriguez, Hudson-Culp, Stewart, Dodson and Ualika. The witness claimed the four of them were planning to confront Rodriguez with accusations he had molested Stewart’s 3-year-old daughter. Dodson is the mother of Stewart.
After detectives confronted Hudson-Culp with the witnesses’ statement, Hudson-Culp admitted it was true and said she was present when Rodriguez was killed and provided more information.
According to Hudson-Culp’s statement in court documents, Hudson-Culp, Stewart, Dodson, Ualika, Rodriguez and the witness drove from Bremerton to Belfair in Stewart’s grandmother’s car and the four were planning to confront Rodriguez about the accusations, without him knowing beforehand.
The group stopped at the Safeway in Belfair, where the witness said she got “cold feet” and decided not to continue with the group, according to court documents. Stewart then drove the rest away from downtown Belfair and onto a dirt road leading from Northeast Haven Way. Upon stopping the car, everyone exited and walked down a wooden trail. The group told Rodriguez they were there for “target practice” with Stewart’s Smith and Wesson pistol. Down the trail, Hudson-Culp claimed she did not see the shooting but heard two gunshots. Hudson-Culp believed Stewart and Dodson each fired one shot, killing Rodriguez, before fleeing the area.
Ualika allegedly rummaged through a backpack belonging to Rodriguez and stole items, including a cellphone. Stewart allegedly discovered the Cash App in Rodriguez’s name and used the app to transfer $35 from Rodriguez’s account to one owned by Ualika.
The group returned to Belfair and picked up the roommate before returning to Bremerton. Ualika, Stewart and Dodson threatened Hudson-Culp and the roommate to not tell anyone what they knew, according to court documents.
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