YAKIMA, WA – A Toppenish man has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to shooting at law enforcement officers during an incident earlier this year.

Leland James Vijarro, 26, entered guilty pleas in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington to charges of assault and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, according to Acting United States Attorney Richard R. Barker.

According to court documents and information presented at the change-of-plea hearing, on February 10, 2024, at around 9 p.m., law enforcement responded to reports of two vehicles chasing each other in Toppenish, Washington. Occupants of the vehicles were reportedly exchanging gunfire.

When officers stopped one of the vehicles, Vijarro, a passenger, fled on foot while armed with a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition. He entered a nearby residence in an attempt to evade officers, who then established a perimeter around the property.

At approximately 11 p.m., Vijarro exited into the backyard of the home and fired three shots at law enforcement officers. He then climbed onto a pallet, took a shooting stance, and fired two additional shots, striking two Yakima County Sheriff’s Office vehicles.

Following the gunfire, Vijarro broke into a neighboring home and barricaded himself inside before eventually surrendering to law enforcement. The incident took place on the Yakama Nation Indian Reservation. Vijarro is not an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation.

During the plea hearing, Vijarro admitted that he knowingly fired at the officers who were securing the area.

United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke accepted Vijarro’s guilty pleas and scheduled sentencing for August 11, 2025.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation, with the case being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bree R. Black Horse.