Jesus Molina

Jesus Molina was an 18-year-old man from Palmetto, Florida, whose life was cut short in the summer of 2019. Known to friends and family by the nickname "molina," he was a loved member of his community. His sudden and violent death left his family, particularly his mother, devastated by the loss.

On the morning of Saturday, June 29, 2019, a passerby made a grim discovery. Around 7:17 a.m., they spotted a body lying in the grass along the 1200 block of 61st Street East in Palmetto and called 911. Manatee County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the scene and found a young man who had suffered trauma consistent with homicidal violence. The victim was soon identified as Jesus Molina. An investigation determined that he had died from a gunshot wound to the head.

The Manatee Homicide Investigative Unit quickly took over the case. Detectives learned that the events leading to Jesus's death had begun shortly after midnight. He and another man, 28-year-old Irving Zuniga, were outside a residence in the 1200 block of Martin Luther King Place when they got into an argument. During the confrontation, investigators allege Zuniga shot Jesus in the head. Authorities believe Zuniga then transported Jesus's body to the remote roadside on 61st Street East and left him there.

The day after Jesus's body was found, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office issued an arrest warrant for Irving Zuniga, charging him with murder. Jesus's mother, who wished to remain anonymous out of fear, told reporters that her family did not know Zuniga. As the search for the suspect began, the Gold Star Club of Manatee joined the Sheriff's Office in offering a $5,000 reward for information that would lead to his arrest. Despite extensive efforts by detectives to find him at known addresses and places he frequented, Zuniga managed to evade capture.

For years, the case remained active but without an arrest, as investigators learned that Zuniga had fled Manatee County and was likely living in Mexico. The search for justice seemed stalled, but law enforcement did not give up. Family members and acquaintances of Zuniga eventually provided information that helped investigators move the case forward.

A major breakthrough came in early 2026. After a multi-agency investigation involving the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, the FBI, and local police in Mexico, Zuniga was located in Mexico City. On Saturday, January 10, 2026, nearly seven years after the killing, Irving Zuniga, now 27, was taken into custody. He was immediately deported back to the United States and flown to Miami, where Manatee County detectives and federal agents took him into custody.

Zuniga was transported back to Manatee County and booked into the local jail to face a charge of second-degree murder for the death of Jesus Molina. A spokesperson for the sheriff's office noted the difficulty of cross-border investigations but emphasized the importance of the arrest for Jesus's family. "Finally, there's some closure for the family," said Randy Warren of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. As of January 2026, the case is proceeding through the court system. Anyone with information is still asked to contact the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at 941-747-3011 or Manatee County Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS.