Brian Lee Gomez, a 28-year-old resident of Long Beach, California, tragically lost his life on September 28, 2015, in Montebello, California. On that fateful day, Gomez traveled to Montebello to sell a gold necklace to a man he had met through the website OfferUp. The transaction was supposed to take place in the 1600 block of Neil Armstrong Street.
However, the situation took a deadly turn when the prospective buyer, later identified as Sean Matthew Garcia, pulled out an assault rifle and chased Gomez. Security cameras captured the harrowing moments as Garcia fired at Gomez's feet in what appeared to be a robbery attempt. As Gomez reached into his pocket where he was holding the necklace, Garcia shot him and fled the scene, leaving the necklace behind. Gomez was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after the incident.
The investigation into Gomez's death revealed that Garcia had a history of using the OfferUp platform to lure victims. During a search of Garcia's home, investigators found evidence linking him to a previous robbery involving an assault rifle. This earlier robbery had gone unreported until the investigation into Gomez's murder began. Garcia was subsequently charged with murder, with the special circumstance that he committed the crime during an attempted robbery and used a rifle to cause bodily harm. He was also charged with robbery related to the theft of the assault rifle. Garcia was held in Los Angeles County Jail on $2-million bail and was scheduled to be arraigned on October 22, 2015.
The Montebello Police Department continued to investigate the case, seeking additional victims who may have been targeted by Garcia. The tragic loss of Brian Lee Gomez left a profound impact on his family and community, highlighting the dangers of online transactions and the importance of vigilance and safety in such dealings.
