On June 27, 2016, Justin Tran, a 26-year-old resident of San Jose, California, was found dead in his car in the Berryessa neighborhood. He was discovered slumped over the steering wheel with multiple gunshot wounds. The incident occurred on the 1700 block of Cape Aston Court, and Tran was pronounced dead at the scene. This tragic event marked the 23rd homicide in San Jose for that year.
Following an extensive investigation, the San Jose Police Department identified four suspects
connected to Tran's murder. Three of these suspects, Jorge Fernandez, 45; Ruben Larios Lopez, 27; and Janine Marie Cordova, 30, were already in custody on unrelated charges at various detention facilities in California. The fourth suspect, Myung Jin Kim, 25, remained at large and was also wanted in connection with an unrelated 2018 homicide in Orange County.
The investigation revealed that on the night of the murder, Tran was sitting in his car when one of the suspects approached the driver's side window and shot him multiple times before fleeing in a black, four-door Lexus. The arrests of Fernandez, Lopez, and Cordova were announced in March 2020, nearly four years after the murder. The San Jose Police Department continues to seek information regarding the whereabouts of Myung Jin Kim.
The case has seen significant developments, including the identification and arrest of key suspects, but the search for the remaining suspect continues. Authorities have urged anyone with information to come forward, offering anonymity and potential rewards for tips leading to an arrest and conviction. The investigation remains active as law enforcement officials work to bring justice for Justin Tran and his family.
