A night among friends in Custer, Washington, ended in a fatal shooting on January 11, 2025. Angel Rodriguez, 52, was at a Valley View Road residence when an argument with 43-year-old Valentin Rivera escalated. Witnesses say both men had been drinking and the dispute began when Rodriguez, intoxicated, said he planned to drive home and Rivera tried to stop him. The verbal fight became physical and then deadly.

Deputies from the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office were called just before 10:30 p.m. for a reported domestic physical incident; a second call reported shots fired. Officers found Rodriguez inside the house, dead of multiple gunshot wounds, lying in an open closet. Rivera was at the scene with a handgun recovered from under his head. Two other people at the home were allegedly assaulted during the altercation, and one required hospital treatment.

Rivera was taken to a hospital for medical clearance and then booked into the Whatcom County Jail. He has been charged with second-degree murder and with second-degree and fourth-degree assault carrying domestic violence enhancements; he has pleaded not guilty. Does anyone who knew Angel or was in the Custer area that night have information to share?