Peniamina Ben Romero was 17 when he was shot and killed on July 30, 2018, in an alley on the 4800 block of Holt Avenue in Fresno. He was with 28-year-old Jesse Villanueva when both were shot; a 13-year-old who was with them was wounded in the leg and survived. Ben was remembered by family and friends as caring and helpful, nicknamed Boy Boy and described as a diamond in the rough.

Police identified 18-year-old Christopher Lerone Sanders as the suspect and arrested him soon after the shooting. The Fresno County District Attorney charged Sanders with two counts of murder with the personal and intentional discharge of a firearm causing death, one count of attempted murder with the personal and intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury, and a special circumstance for multiple murders. The special circumstance exposure could lead to death or life in prison if convicted; the DA’s office reviewed whether to seek the death penalty.

A memorial of candles and homemade signs was placed at the shooting site in West Shaw Estates, a neighborhood noted for high crime and ongoing efforts at improvement. Does anyone have information about Ben, the people who were with him that night, or about the neighborhood’s conditions then?