Michael Bagwell, a 52-year-old resident of Richmond, California, was tragically shot and killed on January 26, 2019, in El Sobrante. The incident occurred at the intersection of Jasmine Court and Jasmine Way, where Contra Costa County sheriff’s deputies found Bagwell lying in the street with a gunshot wound. Despite immediate response, Bagwell was declared dead at the scene.
Initial reports did not provide details on the circumstances leading to the shooting, and no arrests were made immediately following the incident.
Further investigation revealed that Bagwell was involved in methamphetamine distribution. He was allegedly murdered during a carjacking by Jorge Ortega Campos, a 38-year-old East Bay resident who had been buying meth from Bagwell for several months. On the day of the murder, Bagwell was shot in the head and neck while sitting inside his car. Campos was arrested hours later in Concord, where he was found with Bagwell’s blood on his jeans. Under Bagwell’s body, police discovered about a half-ounce of meth, and a subsequent search of his home yielded an additional five ounces of the drug.
Witnesses were initially reluctant to cooperate with the investigation. One man, identified only by his nickname "Bucky," claimed he was in a drug rehabilitation program and could not speak with police. Another witness mentioned that Bagwell had been associating with a man named "George," later identified as Campos. Additionally, it was reported that Bagwell had been seen with $4,000 shortly before his death, money he allegedly won at the San Pablo Lytton Casino, where he had been banned but would sometimes enter in disguise.
Campos was charged with murder and carjacking in March 2019. The case against him included evidence such as text messages between him and Bagwell, indicating a long-standing relationship. Campos' trial was still pending as of the latest updates, with a preliminary hearing scheduled to review the evidence and determine whether he would stand trial. The investigation into Bagwell's death highlighted the dangerous intersection of drug trafficking and violent crime in the area.
