On a Thursday afternoon in September, the sense of normalcy at a Brookhaven apartment complex was abruptly shattered. It was September 16, 2021, when multiple 911 calls began flooding in around 4:30 p.m., reporting the terrifying sounds of gunshots and a person screaming from within the Parke Towne North Apartments, located in the Atlanta suburb. Officers were dispatched to the scene on North Cliff Valley Way where they discovered a man who had sustained at least one gunshot wound.
Despite the life-saving measures attempted by first responders, the man succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The man was later identified as Freddy Mendoza, a 37-year-old Hispanic male. The Brookhaven Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation, and their efforts quickly led to a significant breakthrough. Detectives were able to identify a suspect, and within 24 hours of the shooting, an arrest was made, bringing a small measure of relief to a community shaken by the violence.
The following day, authorities announced that 18-year-old Oscar Castrejon Lopez, a resident of Brookhaven, had been taken into custody. He was subsequently charged with malice murder and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime for his alleged involvement in Freddy Mendoza's death. Lopez was transported to the DeKalb County Jail, where he was held. While some initial information suggested a second individual may have been questioned, Lopez was publicly named as the primary suspect charged in the case. The investigation into the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting remains active as authorities continue to piece together the events of that tragic afternoon.
