Armando Partida-Sanchez was a 32-year-old Hispanic man from Livingston, California. At his killer’s sentencing, his family shared how much he mattered to them and his friends, stating, “His kindness, generosity, and love will never be forgotten.”
In the early morning hours of December 2, 2020, an exchange of gunfire erupted in the 1100 block of East Santa Fe Avenue in Merced. Police responded to reports of the shooting at about 1:30 a.m. and found Armando wounded inside an apartment. He was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. While investigating the scene, officers discovered a second victim, 37-year-old Jeffery Lee Crawford of Winton, who had also been shot. He was found deceased in a parking lot about a block away.
The Merced Police Department immediately began a double homicide investigation. Detectives quickly identified Anthony Ruben Perez, a Winton resident, as a suspect in the shooting, but he had already fled and remained on the run.
The case continued, and nearly a year later, on November 22, 2021, investigators followed up on a lead that pointed to a second suspect, 47-year-old Manuel Martinez of Merced.
Officers with the Merced Police Department and the Gang Violence Suppression Unit located Martinez. After questioning, he confirmed his involvement in the shooting and was arrested. He was booked into the Merced County Jail on suspicion of murder and firearm-related offenses. The search for Perez, however, continued for more than two years. The investigation eventually involved the U.S. Marshals Service, which tracked Perez to a home in El Paso, Texas. On March 18, 2024, U.S. Marshals served a search warrant and took Perez into custody. He was then extradited to Merced County to face prosecution.
In 2025, Manuel Martinez was sentenced to 13 years in state prison for his involvement in the shooting. Anthony Ruben Perez later pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in the death of Armando Partida-Sanchez and to assault with a firearm. Following his plea, Perez was sentenced to 37 years in state prison. The case was concluded with his sentencing in July 2026.
