Teodoro Teo Gutierrez, 52, of Modesto, California, was shot and killed on January 1, 2021, just after 8 a.m. He had been working a graveyard shift at a local dairy and was ambushed as he drove home. His body was found inside his car parked in a field near an intersection by his workplace. The attack occurred in dense fog; the shooter, identified in reports as Gutierrez’s former roommate Eric Mills, had been lying in wait at the intersection and shot him in the head.

The killing grew out of a dispute after Gutierrez evicted Mills from their shared apartment over alleged drug use. A warrant for Mills’ arrest was issued in April 2021; he was arrested in July 2021 after being detained on unrelated charges in June. Prosecutors charged Mills with first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm, alleging a premeditated ambush. Court testimony included that Gutierrez’s girlfriend had been aware of threats by Mills but did not report them to police.

Does anyone have information about the events leading up to that morning or about witnesses who might have seen activity near the intersection on New Year’s Day?