Jeffrey Dempler, 32, was shot and killed in the early hours of March 14, 2023, while confronting a man who was stealing his 25-year-old Subaru Impreza outside his home on Pheasant Drive in Gilroy, California. Awakened by noises, Dempler and his long-time girlfriend, Stephanie Brennan, saw the theft in progress; when Dempler rushed out and confronted the driver, the assailant produced a firearm and shot him once in the chest. Dempler died en route to the hospital.

The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Angel Ochoa-Moreno of Oakland, was located after Brennan provided information; officers found the stolen Subaru, pursued it along U.S. Highway 101 and stopped it near Salinas with spike strips. Ochoa-Moreno was taken into custody and booked in Santa Clara County Jail on charges that include murder and carjacking. He has prior convictions in Alameda County for auto theft and evading arrest.

Investigators say an unidentified accomplice fled the scene in a black SUV and remains at large. The community remembers Dempler as passionate about cars and mechanical pursuits. If anyone has information about the remaining suspect, please come forward.