James Vargas, a 30-year-old father and restaurant manager from Los Angeles, was fatally shot on November 14, 2021. He was killed in the early morning while walking to a taco stand with his wife and two children near Central Avenue and 92nd Street in South Los Angeles. A suspect approached Vargas, asked where he was from, and shot him in the chest before he could respond; Vargas died at the scene in front of his family. The Los Angeles Police Department said Vargas had no gang affiliation and described the motive as unclear.

Ten days after the killing, two men were taken into custody on November 24, 2021. Jose Rodriguez, 30, was identified as the gunman and charged with murder; Eric Sanchez, 31, was charged as an accessory after the fact. The suspects were scheduled for arraignment at the Compton Courthouse. Family members said the arrests brought some relief amid their grief, and the community held vigils and set up a GoFundMe to support Vargas’s wife and children.

If anyone witnessed the shooting near Central and 92nd on November 14, 2021, or has information that could help the case, please share what is known.