Alicia Flores, a 21-year-old woman from Corning, California, tragically lost her life on December 30, 2021, in a fatal shooting incident outside the Centerfolds nightclub, located north of Chico. The incident occurred just after 11 p.m. when Alicia was shot multiple times in the parking lot of the strip club. She was pronounced dead at the scene. According to the Butte County District Attorney's Office, Alicia had been at the club with a friend and Fernando Palomares, the friend's boyfriend.
The three had arrived at the club around 9:40 p.m. and were seen entering and exiting the establishment several times before the shooting occurred.
Fernando Palomares, a 29-year-old man from Vina, was identified as the primary suspect in the case. Palomares had a criminal history, having been on parole since May 2021 after serving time for a 2013 stabbing conviction in Chico. On the night of the incident, Palomares was seen fleeing the scene shortly before Alicia's friend reported the shooting to a clerk inside the club. Law enforcement officers launched an extensive search and eventually located Palomares walking along Highway 99 and Rowles Road, approximately seven miles from the nightclub, around 4:30 a.m. the following morning.
Palomares was subsequently arrested and charged with murder, along with additional charges for using a handgun in the commission of the crime. He was arraigned on these charges and is being held without bail, facing the possibility of life in prison. The investigation into Alicia's death involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Butte County Sheriff's Office and wardens from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, who assisted in retracing Palomares' movements after the shooting. The case has garnered significant attention, and authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward to aid in the ongoing investigation.
