Cesar Rodriguez was 19 and a resident of Whittier, California, when he was killed in a drive-by shooting on August 28, 2011. The shooting happened around 3 a.m. while Cesar and friends stood in front of a home on Painter Avenue in South Whittier. A gray Scion drove by and a backseat passenger opened fire; Cesar was struck in the head and another victim, 24-year-old Larry Villegas, was hit in the chest. Both men died before they could be transported to the hospital.

Cesar was an Explorer Scout with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Norwalk station and had hoped to become a deputy sheriff. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors offered a $25,000 reward in 2018 for information leading to arrest and conviction, but the case remains unsolved. Families have organized annual marches to honor Cesar and Larry, and billboards and public appeals have been used to seek tips. The identity of the gunman and the shooting motive are still unknown.

If anyone knew Cesar or Larry, or has information about the gray Scion or that early-morning shooting on Painter Avenue, please share what you know.