On the night of May 11, 2016, 31-year-old Benjamin Mendoza was shot and killed in Southeast Bakersfield while walking home from a relative’s house. He was at the intersection of Del Mar Drive and Madison Street when a vehicle made a U-turn, stopped, and an occupant, identified as Jeffrey Tapia, exited and fired seven shots. Mendoza suffered three gunshot wounds to the back and died shortly after being transported to Kern Medical.

Deputies found Tapia inside the vehicle used in the killing and recovered a loaded handgun with ammunition that matched the weapon used; additional matching ammunition was found on Tapia. Two others, Daniel Marquez and Ricky Cortez, were arrested as co-defendants. Tapia was convicted of second-degree murder with a gang enhancement and possession of a firearm by a felon; Marquez and Cortez pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter.

Does anyone have information about Mendoza’s last movements that night or witnesses who were in that neighborhood around Del Mar Drive and Madison Street?