Pedro Antonio Lainez-Lopez, 28 and a Santa Maria resident, was killed on December 22, 2014. Multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire brought officers to the 1000 block of West Morrison Avenue in the early morning. He was found in the driver’s seat of a white Toyota Camry parked in an apartment complex driveway; the windshield had been riddled with bullet holes and he had sustained multiple gunshot wounds. First aid was attempted, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators treated the attack as a likely targeted shooting and the Santa Maria Police Department opened an extensive probe. In the days after the killing police collected evidence and interviewed witnesses but made no immediate arrests. Officers noted challenges including limited witness cooperation and the broader pattern of gang-related violence in Santa Maria at that time.

Anyone with information about Pedro Lainez-Lopez, that night on West Morrison Avenue, or suspicious activity in the area is asked to come forward.