A reward is being offered as authorities search for a father accused of murdering his daughter’s boyfriend in Palmdale.
The suspect, Jose Guadalupe Mendoza, 60, remains on the run after Giovannie Gutierrez, 26, was found fatally shot in the 37000 block of Sierra Highway on Nov. 20, 2022.
A press conference was held Wednesday by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department where Gutierrez’s family is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to Mendoza’s arrest.
On Nov. 20, 2022, Gutierrez and his ex-girlfriend, Sarah Mendoza, were involved in a verbal dispute when Gutierrez took Sarah’s phone.
The next day, Sarah met with Gutierrez in Palmdale to retrieve her phone from him. During the meeting, an argument ensured and Sarah drove away from the location.
Gutierrez followed Sarah, chasing after her in his car, authorities said.
Sarah told LASD that Gutierrez “attempted to strike her vehicle several times, causing her to swerve onto oncoming traffic.”
She swerved back into her lane before crashing into Gutierrez’s vehicle. She was stopped on Sierra Highway along the center median.
Gutierrez stopped his car behind Sarah’s and exited his vehicle. He approached her car, opened the car door and began searching for her phone inside.
Sarah called her sister for help and that’s when Gutierrez allegedly removed her car keys from the ignition and drove away in his vehicle, leaving her stranded in the middle of the highway.
One of Sarah’s sisters called 911 to report an assault while another sister called their father, Jose Mendoza, telling him Gutierrez was assaulting Sarah, LASD said.
Gutierrez later returned to where Sarah was stranded before her father arrived. Sarah told authorities Gutierrez was still searching inside her car when she suddenly heard a single gunshot and saw her father leaving the scene in his car.
“As Gutierrez was attempting to gain entry into the young woman’s car, a white Ford Ranger pick-up arrived at the scene,” LASD said. “A passenger exited the Ford Ranger, approached Gutierrez and shot him once in the head.”
Officers found Gutierrez unconscious in the street, suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to the hospital where he later died.
The suspect, Mendoza, later drove to the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station to turn himself in and waited around 12 minutes in the lobby before he walked out, authorities said. He has not been seen since.
Gutierrez’s family remains devastated and is seeking justice for the man’s death.
“It’s been a tough first year without him,” said Max Valadez, Gutierrez’s uncle. “The family worked tirelessly to raise money on their own to bring awareness and find the person responsible for the crime committed. We will not stop fighting for Giovanni. He was a wonderful soul, full of love. My sister, brother-in-law, brothers, sisters, and family miss him so much. His spirit lives within us and he will never be forgotten. We want justice for G, and we are offering a reward of $5,000 dollars to anyone who provides information and leads to the arrest of the suspect.”
Mendoza is described as a Hispanic man standing 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing around 140 pounds. Authorities said he may be armed with a semi-automatic handgun. If he is spotted, LASD advises the public to avoid approaching him and to contact law enforcement immediately.
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call LASD’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be made through Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or online at L.A. Crime Stoppers.