Ramiro Mendez, a 32-year-old father of two, was fatally shot outside his home in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood of Chicago on January 21, 2023. The shooting happened around 3 a.m. while Mendez waited in the driveway of his house in the 5300 block of West Altgeld Street after returning from a family gathering. His wife, Maria Zambrano, had gone inside to let out their dog and heard multiple gunshots and squealing tires; she found Mendez lying near the backyard fence.

Witnesses and police say a black sedan pulled up in front of the house and an occupant opened fire, striking Mendez in the chest. He was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. Family and community activists have suggested the attack might have been a botched robbery, though Mendez was described as having no known conflicts with anyone. He was an immigrant from Guerrero, Mexico, who worked as a food deliveryman and helped raise two daughters, ages 10 and 7.

Community activists Raul Montes Jr. and Pat Gibbons offered a combined $8,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. No arrests have been announced and the investigation remains open. If anyone knew Ramiro Mendez or saw activity in the 5300 block of West Altgeld Street around 3 a.m. on January 21, 2023, please come forward with information.