End of Watch: 06/26/2003
Agency: Chelan County Sheriff’s Office
County: Chelan County
On Thursday, June 26th, 2003 at about 1800 hours, Deputy Saul Gallegos of the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office advised communications that he’d be at 1030 State Route 150 near Manson. Deputy Gallegos was attempting to contact the driver of a gray 1989 Mercury Sable station wagon who was driving with a suspended license. He was looking for Jose Sanchez-Guillen.
Witnesses then saw Deputy Gallegos behind the residence in a fight with Sanchez-Guillen. They then heard two shots and saw Deputy Gallegos fall to the ground, shot in the head. Sanchez-Guillen had been able to get control of Deputy Gallegos’s gun and shot him.
Sanchez-Guillen left southbound on SR-97A in the Mercury. A witness ran to Deputy Gallegos and used his radio to call for help.
A short time later, Deputy Simmons arrived, but Deputy Gallegos died at the scene.
A manhunt for Sanchez-Guillan covered the West Coast and Mexico. At about 0300 hours on Sunday, June 29th, Chelan County deputies and U.S. Marshals, assisted by local officers, surrounded a house in Connell at 200 West Hawthorne Street. Sanchez-Guillen was arrested from the house without incident and transported back to Chelan County.
In October, 2004, Sanchez-Guillan was convicted of aggravated first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
On September 25, 2009, he stabbed a fellow inmate to death.
Deputy Gallegos had been with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Department for seven months, and had previously served with the Chelan Police Department for seven years. He is survived by his wife and four sons.