Julio Robles-Castaneda was a 22-year-old Hispanic man from Pasadena, California. Described by people who knew him as outgoing and easily humored, he worked as a waiter and was the father of a son born in October 2018. Known to friends as Julito, he was found dead on the side of Angeles Crest Highway in the early morning hours of November 6, 2019.

The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s autopsy determined Julio died from multiple gunshot wounds, and investigators concluded he was killed where he was found. Pasadena police identified 30-year-old Daniel Cervantes of Pomona as a suspect and arrested him the next day at a home on Brigden Road in Pasadena. Authorities said the killing was not random and the two men knew each other.

Evidence introduced at trial tied the motive to animosity over the same woman, Zulema Burgueno-Ramirez; Julio had a son with her and was in a relationship with her, while Cervantes had begun a sexual relationship with her in August 2019. Cervantes was convicted of first-degree murder for Julio’s death, and the conviction was affirmed on appeal as of October 2024.

Did anyone who knew Julio or who spent time on Angeles Crest Highway that night see or hear anything that could help explain what happened?