Gabriel Alejandro De La Torre, a 32-year-old Latino electrician who had emigrated from Mexico as a teenager, was shot and killed on August 19, 2016, in Duarte, California. The shooting happened in the 2100 block of Broach Avenue while De La Torre was in his backyard with relatives and friends. Neighbors said a neighbor, Luis Valdes-Santillan, joined the gathering, became upset, went to his house, retrieved a handgun, and opened fire. De La Torre was struck in the chest and pronounced dead at the scene; no one else was reported injured.

Valdes-Santillan fled in a white Toyota pickup and was pursued by deputies onto the 210 Freeway, stopping near Azusa Avenue. A handgun was recovered from his truck and was submitted for testing. Valdes-Santillan was arrested and charged with multiple counts, including murder, attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and fleeing a pursuing peace officer’s motor vehicle; an arraignment was scheduled for September 13, 2016, at the Los Angeles County Superior Court in Alhambra.

De La Torre was remembered as friendly and helpful, often including his neighbor despite a temper, and was saving to buy a house and start a contracting business. He helped raise his wife Susanna Serna’s three daughters and befriended a nearby autistic child.