Two murder suspects arrested with the help of Onstar

Authorities used an OnStar device in a vehicle being driven by two murder suspects to locate, and subsequently arrest them, in Elmore County last Thursday.

Elmore County Sheriff Rick Layher said his department was notified that the suspect vehicle had been identified at milepost 57 on I-84 heading toward Mountain Home, "so we went out looking for them."

Deputy Alan Long spotted the vehicle at the Exit 90 Chevron station where the suspects had stopped to get gas. Long had a second officer available, new to the department who was riding with him for orientation at the time, so decided not to wait for additional backup. Long arrested one of the suspects at the gas pump. Deputy Dave Heinen, who showed up about the same time, arrested the second suspect as the suspect went into the restroom at the Chevron/Burger King. Three additional county units and two state police officers also arrived at about the same time. Taken into custody were two brothers, 28-year-old Ramon Garcia-Morales of Kennewick, Wash., and 25-year-old Jose Garcia-Morales of Pasco, Wash.

They were booked into the Elmore County jail where they are awaiting extradition to Washington to face murder charges related to a shooting in Pasco that killed one man and wounded a woman.

The Tri-City Herald reported that the Franklin County, Wash., prosecutor's office has charged the brothers with first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder in last Wednesday night's shooting. Alfredo Garcia and Maria Garcia Ramirez were found shot inside a residence by officers responding to a 911 hang-up call. Garcia died at the scene.

Ramirez was reported in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.