Mario Bravo Jr. was a 41-year-old man from Bakersfield, California, described by his family as a man of God, a loving husband, a great father, and the best papa to his grandchildren. A fundraiser organized after his death noted he left behind eight minor children and a son who was permanently disabled from a previous shooting incident.
On the night of September 29, 2021, Mr. Bravo and his brother had just finished a softball game at the Mesa Marin Sports Complex off Highway 178.
As they were in the parking lot around 10:26 p.m., a man approached them. Witnesses stated the man made small talk with the brothers for about 10 to 15 minutes and asked for a ride home. He then pulled a handgun from a bag he was carrying and shot Mr. Bravo, who suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. The gunman also fired at Mr. Bravo’s brother, who was not hit, before running to a getaway car waiting at the entrance to the parking lot.
The investigation into the shooting revealed that Mr. Bravo, a former gang member, had previously testified at a trial that resulted in the conviction of other gang members, and prosecutors believed this was the motive for his murder. Bakersfield police detectives used witness statements, social media evidence, and cellphone GPS data to build their case. Two witnesses identified a suspect from photo lineups with varying degrees of certainty.
More than two years later, in April 2024, authorities announced charges against five members of the Colonia Bakers street gang. Ulices Alonso and Eric Faria were charged with first-degree murder, while Francisco Garcia, Uriel Ramirez, and Ulyses Zelayandia faced related charges. Alonso was arrested in Colorado and extradited to Kern County to stand trial with the others.
After a five-month jury trial, all five defendants were convicted in July 2025 of charges including conspiracy to commit murder in the shooting of Mario Bravo.
In October 2025, the men were sentenced to life terms in prison. Uriel Ramirez received a sentence of 100 years to life, and Francisco Garcia was sentenced to 90 years to life. Eric Faria was sentenced to 50 years to life plus 16 months, while Ulices Alonso and Ulyses Zelayandia each received sentences of 50 years to life.
