Bail set at $2 million for alleged gang member accused of killing 18-year-old woman

A man accused of killing a teen in Washington will remain behind bars ahead of trial unless he posts $2 million bond, according to reports.

The suspect was allegedly a member of a gang, and police say he killed the victim because she disrespected the gang, according to The Wenatchee World.

Julius James Ceballos was charged with first-degree murder in connection to the 2019 death of Hannia “Paulina” Mosqueda Rodríguez in Wenatchee, Washington. 

Ceballos was arrested on June 29 and made a preliminary appearance in court on June 30, when Judge Lesley Allan set his bail for $2 million, The Wenatchee World reported.

When asking for the highest bail amount, Deputy Prosecutor Lee O’Brien told Allan “the primary basis for bail is the risk that he would commit further violent offenses or continue to interfere with the administration of justice,” according to The Wenatchee World.

In court, O’Brien said Ceballos and unspecified accomplices took “considerable” measures to hide Mosqueda’s body, which was found on March 17, 2020, in a drainage ditch in the Wenatchee foothills.

O’Brien also noted Ceballos appears to show no remorse, saying one person told detectives that Ceballos laughed about killing Mosqueda, The Wenatchee World reported.

Detectives believe Mosqueda was killed while attending a small party on Oct. 15, 2019, according to the affidavit obtained by The Wenatchee World.

Two witnesses who weren’t present at the party, but claim to have spoken to Ceballos about Mosqueda, told detectives he admitted to stabbing her, the affidavit states.

Both also claim to have been shown a video on Ceballos’ phone that showed the body of a woman covered in blood.

An autopsy showed that Mosqueda was stabbed and shot, according to the affidavit.

On Oct. 14, 2019, Mosqueda’s step-father reported her missing to the Wenatchee Police Department.

Mosqueda’s mother, Edith Rodríguez Chávez, told The Wenatchee World that her daughter was supposed to take a bus from Seattle to Wenatchee that day, and she was supposed to appear at a court hearing that day.

However, Mosqueda never arrived at the bus station and instead told her by text that she’d gotten a ride from a friend.

Not long after, she stopped replying to text messages.