On Sunday, June 16, 2024, an altercation in the parking lot of the San Jose Restaurant, 3725 East State Street in Rockford, Illinois, escalated into an exchange of gunfire. Victor Mario Ballesteros, 40, of Loves Park, was shot during the incident and later succumbed to his injuries, the Winnebago County Coroner’s Office confirmed. A 19-year-old man was critically injured and taken to a local hospital.

Ballesteros was a husband to Maryann Ballesteros, father of three children — Victor, Adrien and Amariana Ballesteros — and a grandfather. He co-owned Speedy Auto Care and Speedy Auto Sales with his wife and was active in community volunteer work. Rockford Police are treating the incident as a murder investigation; a person of interest has been identified in photos but no arrests have been announced.

Did anyone witness the altercation in the San Jose Restaurant parking lot or have information about the person of interest?