Family and friends of David Alfonso Melecio Rodríguez gathered outside La Terraza del Shots nightclub in Mexicali on Wednesday evening, April 8, to demand justice on the third anniversary of his disappearance. The candlelight vigil drew attention to a case that remains unresolved after three years of investigation.
David Alfonso and his friend Manuel Bramasco were last seen at the nightclub on the night of April 8, 2023. Neither man has been located since, and authorities have provided no explanation for what happened to them.
No Answers After Three Years
The case has produced no arrests, no identified suspects, and no confirmed leads made public by investigators. Relatives have repeatedly pressed Baja California’s law enforcement agencies for updates, but the lack of progress has left the families in limbo.
La Terraza del Shots is located in the city of Mexicali, the capital of Baja California, roughly 120 miles east of Tijuana and directly across the border from Calexico, California. The nightclub sits in an area frequented by local residents on weekend nights.
Disappearances Remain a Persistent Crisis
Baja California has one of the highest rates of disappearances in Mexico. The state’s Fiscalía General del Estado (FGE), the state attorney general’s office, handles thousands of active missing persons cases. Families across the state regularly organize public demonstrations to pressure authorities into acting on stalled investigations.
Disappearances linked to nightlife venues have been a recurring concern in Mexicali and other border cities. Victims are often young men who vanish after visiting bars or clubs, and investigations frequently stall without resolution.
Wednesday’s vigil is part of a broader pattern of families taking matters into their own hands, using public pressure to keep cases from being forgotten. Relatives of David Alfonso and Manuel Bramasco have maintained a public campaign since 2023, calling on investigators to pursue the case actively.
Three years after both men walked into a Mexicali nightclub and never came home, their families continue to wait for answers. The case was first reported by Zeta Tijuana.