Angel Trejo was 16 when he was shot and killed on December 9, 2019, in San Joaquin, California. The shooting occurred while Angel, his 20-year-old brother Esteban, and their mother, Leticia Rodriguez-Alejo, were moving out of an apartment they had shared with Rodriguez-Alejo’s ex-boyfriend, Hileberto Valtierra, after their relationship ended and tensions had risen. During the struggle Valtierra’s niece handed him a gun, and Valtierra fired, striking Angel in the left shoulder, right thigh, and head. Esteban was shot twice, once in the back as he tried to flee. Valtierra fled, discarded the gun in a field, and was arrested the next morning at a relative’s home in Salinas.

Valtierra was tried on charges including second-degree murder for Angel’s death, second-degree attempted murder for the attack on Esteban, and three counts of assault with a firearm. He maintained alternative explanations at trial, but witness testimony and family members’ accounts contradicted those claims. The jury convicted Valtierra and he received a 230-year prison sentence. Angel’s family described profound grief and the lasting impact of his loss. If anyone knew Angel or has information about the events that day, please share what you can.