Hermiston Man Arrested For Murder of Missing Moses Lake Woman

(Moses Lake, WA) -- Moses Lake Police says they have arrested a man in Hermiston, Oregon for the murder of a local woman. Juan Gastelum, 27, was arrested for Murder in the 2nd degree and Rape in the 2nd degree in the disappearance of 30-year old Yanira Cedillos of Moses Lake. He is currently in the Umatilla County Jail, in Pendleton awaiting extradition back to Moses Lake. According to a press release from Moses Lake Police it was shortly after 10 am on Friday March 4th, when officers responded to the Heron Creek Apartments in Moses Lake for the report of a missing person. Officers learned that Cedillos of Moses Lake had been out celebrating her birthday the night before at Papa’s Casino. Witnesses said that throughout the night, a man she used to live with had been calling, texting and snapping her dozens of times asking what she was doing, and who she was with. This man was identified as Gastelum.

Detectives were able to determine that Gastelum had picked Yanira up from the 900 block of North Stratford Road, and took her back to her apartment at the Heron Creek Apartments, located 222 E. 9th Avenue. They arrived at the apartment a few minutes before midnight. Detectives obtained evidence showing that Yanira was killed in her apartment, and her body was moved post mortem. Gastelum left the apartment in the early morning hours of Friday the 4th, and drove around the Moses Lake area for a period of time. He was caught on video about 7:30am cleaning his car out and disposing of evidence at local gas station. This evidence was later recovered by detectives. However, her remains are still missing.