Zeferino Santos Perfecto, 49, was shot and killed shortly after midnight on January 1, 2019, during a family gathering near 700 Fremont Street in Delano, California. He was taken to Delano Regional Medical Center and died there about 1:16 a.m. The Delano Police Department opened a homicide investigation and indicated early on that the shooting might not have been gang-related; unlawful celebratory gunfire was mentioned as a possibility.

Authorities arrested 48-year-old Aurelio Perfecto Aguilar later that day, about 3:40 p.m., and charged him with a felony count of carrying a loaded firearm without registration. Court documents and police reports were cited as linking Aguilar to the shooting, but the exact circumstances and motive remained unclear as the investigation continued. The department asked the public to provide any information that could help the inquiry.

If anyone was at the gathering or has information about what happened that night, please come forward to assist the investigation.