On August 21, 2021, Armando P. Valencia, 34, was shot and killed in a parking lot at 2715 N.E. 138th Ave. in east Vancouver during what had been arranged as a purchase of speakers. Valencia was sitting in his car when a blue Honda Civic pulled up alongside; two men were inside. After a brief exchange in which the men asked about gang affiliation and Valencia made a hand gesture, one of the men rolled down his window, produced a revolver, and fired multiple shots. Witnesses heard the gunfire and saw the blue car flee.

Officers arrived at 6:13 p.m. and found Valencia with a fatal chest wound. The buyer who had arranged the meeting identified Luis Perez-Mejia in a photo lineup as the shooter. Police served a search warrant on Perez-Mejia’s vehicle and found two firearms, including a revolver matching the witness description that had been reported stolen. The killing was said to have arisen from a mistaken belief that Valencia was a rival gang member. Valencia’s family remember him as kind, respectful, and empathetic with a big heart.

Has anyone with knowledge of that parking lot meeting or the blue Honda Civic come forward with information?