On the evening of April 6, 2021, 29-year-old Mariela Vargas-Brown was driving with her boyfriend along Ruston Way in Tacoma when gunfire struck their vehicle. A bullet hit Mariela, she lost control and crashed into a pole in the 4300 block, and her boyfriend got her out of the car. First responders found her unresponsive beside the vehicle; she was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the head. Her death was recorded as the seventh homicide in Tacoma that year.

Mariela worked as a phlebotomist who drew blood from children and was remembered by family for an infectious laugh and bubbly personality. Her relatives say she had no known enemies and believe she may have been an unintended victim of a stray bullet. As of late 2021 the killing remained unsolved, with no arrests announced and no suspect or motive released. Crime Stoppers offered a reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

If anyone was in the Ruston Way area that night or has information that could help the investigation, please come forward.