On the evening of February 4, 2015, 42-year-old Juan Carlos Melgoza was shot multiple times and killed in the busy parking lot of a Pasco grocery store after a confrontation over colors. Surveillance footage captured two suspects approaching Melgoza, though the actual shooting was not clearly visible on video. Paramedics pronounced Melgoza dead at the scene; an autopsy indicated he likely died instantly.

Investigators say the dispute began when 20-year-old Chris Pedroza-DeSantiago argued with Melgoza about Melgoza wearing red, a color tied to a rival gang. Pedroza-DeSantiago reportedly enlisted a 15-year-old, Abraham Barajas, and the two returned to the parking lot. Court filings describe an argument between them over who would carry out the attack before Pedroza-DeSantiago approached Melgoza and shot him in the back. Both provided incriminating testimony: Pedroza-DeSantiago’s former girlfriend and Barajas, who later described planning the attack and the dispute over who would pull the trigger.

Pedroza-DeSantiago was arrested during a traffic stop; Barajas was already in juvenile detention on an unrelated matter. Charges listed include first-degree murder and related conspiracy and weapons counts. Did anyone witness the argument in the parking lot or recognize the two men before the shooting?