In the late hours of a Saturday night in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the life of 33-year-old Baldomero M. Vicente Pelico was tragically cut short. On May 17, 2025, Pelico, a male, was fatally shot in the parking lot of a bar on Rossville Boulevard. The incident, which unfolded around 11:14 p.m., also left two other men injured.
Pelico and two companions, aged 44 and 29, had just pulled their Nissan Frontier truck into the parking lot of the Alcapulco Bar when they were ambushed.
Without any apparent provocation, two individuals, later identified as 19-year-old Roberto Carlos Meja-Chakate and 23-year-old Jerry Juarez-Bernabe, opened fire on the vehicle, unleashing multiple rounds. The driver of the truck attempted to flee the sudden onslaught but lost control and crashed a short distance away. When officers from the Chattanooga Police Department arrived at the scene, they discovered Pelico deceased inside the truck. The 44-year-old passenger had sustained life-threatening injuries, while the 29-year-old had non-life-threatening wounds.
Immediately following the shooting, Meja-Chakate and Juarez-Bernabe fled the scene in a dark gray Nissan Altima. A description of their vehicle was broadcast to nearby law enforcement agencies. Officers with the East Ridge Police Department soon spotted the suspect vehicle in their jurisdiction. A pursuit ensued, which ended when the suspects abandoned their car and attempted to escape on foot. One suspect was quickly apprehended, while the other led officers on a chase into a wooded area behind a nearby movie theater. With the assistance of a K-9 unit and a drone, the second suspect was also taken into custody.
Both Roberto Carlos Meja-Chakate and Jerry Juarez-Bernabe were arrested and have been charged with First Degree Murder. They were transported to the Hamilton County Jail and Detention Center, where they are currently being held. According to an affidavit, Meja-Chakate's bond was set at $1 million. The investigation into the deadly shooting is ongoing.
