George Vargas Jr., a 41-year-old resident of Oakland, California, was fatally shot on December 10, 2017, at the Foothill Square Shopping Center in East Oakland. The incident occurred around 2:44 p.m. in a parking lot at the shopping center located on MacArthur Boulevard. Vargas was involved in an argument with another individual before the shooting took place. Despite the presence of many people in the parking lot, no one else was injured.
Vargas was transported to a hospital where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into Vargas' death revealed that he and the suspect, Vernon Dunbar Jr., did not know each other prior to the incident. The argument that led to the shooting reportedly began when Vargas drove close to Dunbar's vehicle while navigating around a speed bump in the parking lot. Both men exited their cars as the argument escalated, and Dunbar produced a pistol and shot Vargas. Vargas' cousin, who was in the car with him at the time, testified during the preliminary hearing that she witnessed the entire incident and later identified Dunbar as the shooter from a police photo lineup.
Following the shooting, police and Crime Stoppers of Oakland offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspect. Dunbar was eventually apprehended and charged with voluntary manslaughter and related offenses. In November 2022, Dunbar, then 36 years old, pleaded no contest to the charges as part of a plea deal. He was sentenced to 18 years in state prison, with a recommendation for mental health treatment during his incarceration. The plea deal and subsequent sentencing brought some closure to the case, although the tragic loss of George Vargas Jr. continues to be felt by his family and the community.
