On June 7, 2023, in Modesto, California, 37-year-old Emmanuel Gomez was fatally shot after he tried to intervene in a vehicle burglary targeting his neighbor. At about 4:30 a.m. Gomez saw three people burglarizing the neighbor’s car and followed them in his truck. As the suspects fled, one of them fired multiple rounds, striking Gomez at least once and causing him to lose control and crash into an orchard on Monticello Lane. He was taken to a hospital and died of his injuries.

The Modesto Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit opened an investigation that led to the arrest of three suspects. The alleged shooter, 20-year-old Deshawn Austin, was charged with homicide, being armed with a firearm while committing a felony, and burglary. Two 16-year-old juveniles were arrested and face burglary charges. Neighbors remember Gomez as a family man and a good neighbor; his children organized a memorial at the crash site. Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators.