On April 16, 2021, 19-year-old Jose Mendez Varela was tragically shot to death while working in a vineyard near S. Butte and W. Chandler Avenues in Fresno County, California. The incident occurred early in the morning, and two other men who were also working in the vineyard suffered multiple gunshot wounds but survived. The victims were engaged in pruning grapevines when an argument broke out between them and two brothers, Victor and Vincent Cerna, who were also working at the site.
The argument escalated, leading the Cerna brothers to pull out guns and open fire on the three men before fleeing the scene in a car.
The investigation into the shooting revealed that the Cerna brothers were the primary suspects. Despite initial difficulties in locating them, a breakthrough came when authorities in Mexico apprehended the brothers on unrelated drug charges. The San Diego County Sheriff's Office was notified, and upon checking records, they discovered that Victor and Vincent Cerna were wanted in Fresno County for the murder of Jose Mendez Varela. The U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force collaborated with Mexican authorities to extradite the brothers to the United States. They were subsequently transported to the Los Angeles County Jail and later transferred to the Fresno County Jail.
Both Victor and Vincent Cerna faced charges of murder, with their bail set at $4.5 million each. The Fresno County Sheriff's Office continued to gather information and encouraged anyone with additional details about the case to come forward. The tragic death of Jose Mendez Varela and the subsequent arrest of the Cerna brothers highlighted the violent outcome of a workplace dispute and underscored the importance of thorough investigative efforts in bringing suspects to justice.
