Marlon Wardell Brumfield Jr. was 22 and on leave from his Army post in Germany when he was fatally shot on September 8, 2019, in Lompoc, California. Brumfield was walking near Ocean Avenue and A Street visiting family when he was mistaken for a rival gang member. Walter Alexander Morales, a passenger in a vehicle driven by Francisco Gutierrez Ortega, fired four shots that killed Brumfield.

Gutierrez Ortega was arrested 11 days after the shooting and later pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, receiving an 11-year prison sentence. Morales fled to Mexico after the killing but was apprehended on his return in July 2020; he faced first-degree murder charges with gang and firearm enhancements. In June 2024 Morales pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years to life.

Brumfield’s family and community members spoke in court during the sentencing, remembering him as a positive presence. Does anyone who knew Marlon or his movements in Lompoc that day have information to share?