Christopher Perez, 18, was fatally shot on December 1, 2024, at Ledbetter Park in Cutler, California. The shooting happened just before 5:30 p.m. while Perez was at the park with a 14-year-old companion. Emergency responders pronounced Perez dead at the scene; the younger companion was an attempted homicide victim in the same incident.

The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office identified two suspects: 19-year-old Christopher Talingo and a 15-year-old male, both from Cutler. Deputies arrested the juvenile after a brief pursuit at his home on December 4, 2024, and the sheriff’s SWAT team arrested Talingo later that day without incident. Both suspects have been charged with homicide, attempted homicide, and conspiracy.

Perez was born September 20, 2006, and is survived by his parents, Grizelda Flores Bernardino and Fredy Perez Garcia, and siblings Fredy, Kimberly, and Fatima Perez. A visitation and rosary were held on December 18, 2024, with a mass on December 19, 2024. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective John Har at 559-733-6218, or submit anonymous tips by calling or texting (559) 725-4194 or emailing [email protected].

Did anyone in the Cutler area see or hear anything at Ledbetter Park that evening?