On February 22, 2019, Javier Ramirez Cruz, an 18-year-old resident of Arvin, California, was shot near the Casa De La Paloma Blanca Apartments on Haven Drive. Arvin Police officers responded to reports of shots fired around midnight and found two Hispanic men with gunshot wounds. Cruz was taken to Kern Medical, where he died of multiple gunshot wounds. A second victim, 22-year-old Antonio Lopez, was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the head. The Kern County Coroner’s Office ruled both deaths homicides.

The investigation remains open and unsolved. No arrests or identified suspects have been announced, and the Arvin Police Department is asking the public for help, including anonymous tips for those who may fear retaliation. If anyone has information about the shooting or saw activity near Haven Drive that night, please contact the Arvin Police Department.