A 30-year-old man was shot and killed Tuesday night at a food stand in San Felipe, the small fishing and tourist town on the Sea of Cortez about 120 miles south of Mexicali.
Mario Arnoldo Meza Romo was struck by multiple gunshots while at a fast-food stand on the corner of Mar Egeo and Puerto de San Felipe streets. Red Cross paramedics who responded to the scene confirmed he was dead on arrival.
Attackers Fled in White Vehicle
Witnesses told investigators that the attackers arrived in an older-model white vehicle and fled in the same car after the shooting. State investigators from the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), Baja California’s state investigative agency, responded alongside the Baja California Attorney General’s forensic unit.
At the scene, investigators recovered approximately five spent 9mm shell casings. Meza Romo sustained gunshot wounds to a leg, an arm, his chest, and his head. Authorities opened a formal homicide investigation.
A Rare Violent Incident for San Felipe
San Felipe, home to roughly 25,000 residents, is a popular weekend destination for expats and day-trippers from the Mexicali Valley and Southern California. The town is known for its shrimp tacos, off-road racing events, and relaxed pace of life along the upper Sea of Cortez. Shootings of this nature are uncommon in the port town, which typically sees far less violent crime than larger cities in Baja California such as Tijuana or Mexicali.
The motive behind the killing remains unclear. No arrests have been announced. The intersection where the shooting occurred sits in a residential and commercial area of town, not far from the main tourist strip along the malecón.
The Baja California Attorney General’s office has not released further details about potential suspects or lines of investigation. This story was first reported by Punto Norte.