A man was driving and acting erratically about 6:28 p.m. outside Tony's Firehouse Grill and Pizza . His vehicle became disabled and when people approached him, he allegedly pulled a gun, and an off-duty deputy shot and killed him.
Killer: Mario Garza
Agency: Kern County Sheriff's Office
Motive: Assault with deadly weapon, erratic behavior
Confrontation Type: Violent Crime
Service Call: No
Official Disposition: Pending investigation
Victim Name: Cesar Sanchez Ruiz
Death Date: August 20, 2020
County: Kern
Off Duty: off-duty
Geography: Suburban
Gender: Male
Age: 36
Race: Hispanic
Cause of Death: Gunshot
Criminal Charges: No known charges
Mental Illness: Yes
Armed: Allegedly Armed
Weapon: gun
Threat Level: attack