Jaime Villeda

Jaime Villeda, a 15-year-old male remembered by friends and family as a joyful and loving young man, was killed on the afternoon of April 13, 2024. Those who knew him said he was a good kid with an amazing soul who was always there for his family, especially his sister. He had a kind, caring spirit and would always check up on his friends and family to make sure they were okay.

On that Saturday, Jaime was at a friend's home in a Renton, Washington, neighborhood near Highlands Elementary School. While his 16-year-old friend, Isaias Villalobos, was handling a firearm he believed to be unloaded, the weapon discharged. A single gunshot struck Jaime in the chest. Villalobos immediately called 911, telling the dispatcher in a frantic voice, "I shot my friend by accident. Please send an ambulance right now, please, please." He could be heard crying and calling out Jaime's name. When officers arrived at the residence on Camas Avenue Northeast, they found Villalobos at the door and detained him. Inside, they found Jaime on a bed, unresponsive, and began to render aid. As they worked, Jaime cried out in pain, "I'm gonna die." He was rushed to Harborview Medical Center, but he did not survive his injuries.

Investigators found a black, unbranded "ghost gun" with no serial number in the bedroom, along with a spent bullet casing. Audio from a nearby surveillance camera seemed to corroborate the sequence of events, capturing the sound of a gunshot followed by a male voice, believed to be Villalobos, yelling "no!" and Jaime's name in "clear panic and distress." The 911 call was placed just 40 seconds later. The investigation also revealed that Villalobos was on electronic home monitoring at the time of the shooting for his alleged involvement in a drive-by shooting five months earlier, in November 2023. It was believed that Jaime Villeda had been one of the targets in that prior incident.

Isaias Villalobos was arrested and charged in his friend's death. On December 9, Villalobos pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. As part of a plea agreement, several charges from unrelated cases—including drive-by shooting, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen vehicle, and hit-and-run—were dismissed.

On January 2, Villalobos, then 17, was sentenced to a total of 102 months, or eight and a half years, in a facility operated by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families. The sentence, which was an agreed-upon recommendation from both the defense and the state, consisted of 78 months for the manslaughter charge plus a 24-month weapons enhancement. The case was closed as of the sentencing in January 2026.