Michael Bagwell, 52, was shot and killed on January 26, 2019, in El Sobrante. Deputies found him lying in the street at the intersection of Jasmine Court and Jasmine Way with a gunshot wound; he was pronounced dead at the scene. Initial reports offered few details about what led to the shooting and witnesses were initially reluctant to cooperate.

Investigators later reported that Bagwell was involved in methamphetamine distribution and that he was allegedly murdered during a carjacking. Authorities say Jorge Ortega Campos, 38, had been buying meth from Bagwell for months; Bagwell was shot in the head and neck while sitting inside his car and Campos was arrested hours later in Concord with Bagwell’s blood on his jeans. Police found about a half-ounce of meth under Bagwell’s body and a subsequent search of his home recovered roughly five ounces.

Witnesses described Bagwell associating with a man called George, later identified as Campos, and one witness known as Bucky said he could not speak because he was in a drug rehabilitation program. Reports also say Bagwell had been seen with about $4,000 shortly before his death, money he allegedly won at the San Pablo Lytton Casino. Campos was charged with murder and carjacking in March 2019 and a preliminary hearing was scheduled to review the evidence. Did anyone in the area know Bagwell, his associates, or have information about that night?