SILVERDALE — A 23-year-old Silverdale man allegedly fatally shot his friend during a dispute while they were driving late Feb. 18, and left his body on a Seabeck road where it was found by a passerby.

The suspect and his girlfriend were arrested without incident at his father’s home in Silverdale three days later. They were expected to be arraigned Feb. 22 — he on a first-degree murder charge, she on a charge of first-degree rendering assistance.

Their names are not being released until they are charged. See KitsapDailyNews.com for updated coverage.

The sheriff’s department reported it made the arrests “with the help of the community coming forward with information related to this homicide.”

Sheriff’s Detective Lt. Earl Smith said the case is unrelated to the Jan. 27 murders of four members of the Careaga family, 7.5 miles south of where the latest death occurred. But he hopes someone will come forward with information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of those responsible in that case as well.

Hector “Ricky” Apodaca, 30, of Bremerton was found in the road late Feb. 18 on the 9300 block of Misery Point Road NW. A passerby saw the body and called 911, Smith said. Patrol deputies and Central Kitsap Fire &Rescue personnel went to the scene; CKF&R personnel tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate Apodaca and pronounced him dead at the scene, Smith said.

Based on information received during the investigation, detectives served a search warrant on a home on Huntley Place in Silverdale; the suspect was arrested there without incident and detectives located evidence there related to the murder, the department reported.

The suspect’s girlfriend, a 20-year-old Kingston woman, was also arrested there; she is suspected of concealing and destroying evidence. Both were booked into Kitsap County Jail; his bail was set at $1 million, her bail was set at $100,000.

Smith said the suspect provided officers with a statement. According to the investigation: The suspect was driving the car when a “dispute” between he and Apodaca broke out. At some point, the suspect stopped the car, shot Apodaca and left the scene. The shooting occurred on a rural residential street about 1.4 miles from Scenic Beach State Park. Detectives believe the girlfriend was not there when the shooting occurred, Smith said.

Apodaca is the fifth homicide victim in Seabeck in less than a month. The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Department and two federal agencies are still investigating the Jan. 27 deaths of John D. Careaga; his wife, Christale L. Careaga, her 16-year-old son, Johnathon F. Higgins; and Careaga’s 16-year-old stepson from a previous marriage, Hunter E. Schaap.

Christale Careaga and the 16-year-olds were found murdered in the family home, 13417 Tenino Drive, which had been set on fire. John Careaga’s body was found two days later in his pickup truck at a Mason County tree farm; the truck had also been set on fire.

Investigators have repeatedly said they don’t believe the Jan. 27 killings were random, that John D. Careaga was the target, and that the public is not in danger.

Investigators ask that anyone with information regarding the Careaga murders call Detective Lissa Gundrum, 360-337-5669. Callers can remain anonymous.

Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound is offering a $4,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects. Call 800-222-8477 or go to www.crimes toppers.com. Again, callers can remain anonymous.

— Richard Walker is the managing editor of the Kitsap News Group. He can be reached at rwalker@soundpublishing.com.