On the night of May 13, 2024, 27-year-old Jorge Cortes-Bejar was fatally shot while working at Rivermaid Trading Company, a fruit-packing facility on East Pine Street in Lodi, California. Deputies from the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunfire around 10 p.m., found Cortes-Bejar with multiple gunshot wounds, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators identified 41-year-old Gabriel Hernandez as the primary suspect. Officers with the Manteca Police Department located a vehicle linked to Hernandez the following night near Louise Avenue and Airport Road in Manteca. After a brief pursuit and an attempt by Hernandez to flee on foot, he was taken into custody with assistance from the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office helicopter unit. A firearm was recovered during the arrest; authorities did not confirm whether it was the weapon used in the homicide. Hernandez was booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on charges including murder, felony possession of a firearm, and violating a prohibition on gang members possessing ammunition.

Authorities have said the incident appears isolated and have not disclosed a motive or whether Hernandez and Cortes-Bejar knew each other. Rivermaid Trading Company, which packs cherries and pears at the Lodi facility, says it is cooperating with the investigation and stressed its commitment to employee safety. If anyone has information about the shooting or knew Jorge Cortes-Bejar, please come forward to assist investigators.