Jose Armando Alonzo-Lopez, a 20-year-old man from Oneco, Florida, had his life cut short in the early hours of the day after Christmas in 2016. His death left a void in his community and began a search for justice that continues years later. Details about Jose's personal life, his work, and his family are not widely known, but his sudden and violent death was a tragedy that marked the holiday season with sorrow.
The fatal incident occurred on Monday, December 26, 2016, at El Paisano Bar, located at 5803 15th Street East in Bradenton, a city in Manatee County. At approximately 2:34 a.m., as the bar was likely closing, a call reporting a shooting sent deputies from the Manatee County Sheriff's Office rushing to the scene. When they arrived, they found Jose suffering from a serious gunshot wound. The shooter had already vanished into the night.
Emergency medical services were dispatched immediately, and Jose was swiftly transported to Blake Medical Center for urgent care.
He was taken into emergency surgery, but despite the efforts of the medical team, the damage from the gunshot wound was too severe. Jose Armando Alonzo-Lopez succumbed to his injuries on the operating table, turning a violent assault into a homicide investigation.
The Manatee Homicide Investigative Unit took charge of the case. Detectives began the meticulous process of interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence at El Paisano Bar to piece together the events that led to the deadly confrontation. Their work quickly yielded a person of interest. On the very same day as the shooting, the sheriff's office identified 25-year-old Carlos Valdovinos-Aguirre as the suspect and secured an arrest warrant for him.
Authorities described Valdovinos-Aguirre as a tall, thin Hispanic male. However, by the time the warrant was issued, he had already fled. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office publicly announced the search for Valdovinos-Aguirre and appealed to the community for any information that could lead to his capture. They asked anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts to contact the sheriff's office or to provide anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers.
In the years since Jose's death, the case has grown cold. There have been no public announcements of an arrest, and the trail for Carlos Valdovinos-Aguirre seems to have gone quiet. His name does not appear in recent court records for Manatee County, and there is no indication that he was ever apprehended or faced trial for the killing of Jose Alonzo-Lopez. The critical questions of what sparked the violence at the bar and where the suspect has been hiding remain unanswered.
As of late 2026, the case officially remains open but unsolved. The warrant for the arrest of Carlos Valdovinos-Aguirre is presumably still active, making him a fugitive from justice. For the family and friends of Jose Armando Alonzo-Lopez, the wait for answers and accountability is a heavy burden. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office continues to seek information that could finally close this painful chapter and bring a resolution to a holiday tragedy that occurred years ago. Anyone with information is still urged to contact the Manatee County Sheriff's Office at 941-747-3011 or Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS.
