Victim Found Outside Tonasket; Murder and Accessory Charges Filed
TONASKET, WAA Tonasket man was discovered dead last week along a remote road; Okanogan County authorities are looking into his death. In relation to the case, two individuals have been taken into custody.
Deputies responded to a 911 call on the morning of July 24, 2025, stating that a guy was laying face down and unresponsive close to North Pine Creek Road, approximately one mile outside the small hamlet of Tonasket in north central Washington. The individual, who was later identified as Joseph Dagnon, was discovered dead at the site by responding officers.
Investigators secured Dagnon’s home as a secondary crime scene and brought in the Washington State Crime Lab. In order to collect evidence and find potential suspects, deputies acquired search warrants.
Two people thought to be involved in the incident were found by police later that day at a house off Highway 97 close to Oroville. While the second suspect ran away on foot, the first was arrested on the spot. Drone monitoring and concerted containment efforts by law enforcement eventually led to his capture.
Tonasket resident Pedro Lopez was charged with first-degree murder and put into the Okanogan County Jail on probable cause. Tonasket resident Jorge Gurolla-Garcia was charged with accessory to murder on probable cause.
The inquiry is still ongoing. Additional information regarding the circumstances behind Dagnon’s death has not been made public by authorities.
The Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office praised the deputies and allied agencies for their efforts in the investigation and offered their condolences to the victim’s family.
