In the quiet town of Shelbyville, Tennessee, a dispute among housemates on a Sunday afternoon in October of 2020 shattered the peace and ended in bloodshed. Juan Diego Frias Gutierrez, a male resident of a home on Lower Halls Mill Road, was fatally shot multiple times in his own front yard on October 11th of that year. The violence erupted from an argument, the specifics of which were complicated by a significant language barrier for investigators who arrived at the scene.
They found a chaotic and tragic situation, with another man, Jose Angel Osuna Mendez, also suffering from critical gunshot wounds to his chest and arm.
The investigation into the death of Juan Diego Frias Gutierrez and the wounding of Jose Angel Osuna Mendez quickly pointed to two suspects who also resided at the home. One of the suspects, 29-year-old Juan Antonio Lopez Juarez, who had only recently moved to Shelbyville, was apprehended by law enforcement. His arrest, a collaborative effort between the Bedford County Sheriff's Office, Williamson County deputies, and Franklin police, took place in Franklin. Following his capture, Juarez was charged with homicide and attempted homicide and was subsequently held at the Bedford County Jail without bond.
The second suspect, Rolando Esquivel Garcia, fled the scene and was still at large in the days following the shooting. Law enforcement officials continued to search for Garcia, seeking to bring him to justice for his alleged role in the violent altercation that claimed one life and severely injured another. The community was left to grapple with the sudden violence that had disrupted their otherwise peaceful surroundings. The investigation continued as authorities worked to piece together the events that led to the tragic death of Juan Diego Frias Gutierrez and the serious injury of Jose Angel Osuna Mendez.
