Matthew Gan-Dara, a hardworking 30-year-old man from Bakersfield, California, was known by loved ones as a bright and loving person. He had recently celebrated his 30th birthday and regularly traveled from the Bakersfield area to find work to support himself. His family described him as a young man who had not yet even begun his life, and they are left to mourn the future he will never have—the chance to get married, have children, and find his journey.
According to his family, Matthew worked in lumber manufacturing.
In the pre-dawn hours of Friday, October 2, 2026, Matthew and a coworker, Moises Abraham Vasquez, also 30 and from Bakersfield, were waiting outside their workplace. Shortly before 5 a.m., as they stood outside the Entrussed building supply manufacturing facility in the 460 block of South Main Street near Date Avenue in Porterville, gunfire suddenly erupted. Both men were struck by the shots.
Officers from the Porterville Police Department rushed to the scene after receiving reports of gunfire. They discovered both Matthew and Moises suffering from gunshot wounds. Emergency responders attempted lifesaving measures, but the injuries were too severe. Both Matthew Gan-Dara and Moises Abraham Vasquez were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Porterville Police Department launched a double homicide investigation, closing down a section of South Main Street between Date Avenue and the Tule River Bridge to process the crime scene. The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab was called in to assist with the collection of evidence. During their investigation, police made a significant discovery about half a mile south of the shooting: the charred remains of a burned-out vehicle. Investigators believe the car is connected to the killings, though its exact role has not been publicly clarified.
Matthew’s brother, Ricky Robles, expressed his family's devastation and his belief that the shooting may have been a planned attack. While the family feels the two men were deliberately targeted, police have not confirmed a motive or publicly stated whether the victims were singled out. The sudden, violent loss has left two families with painful, unanswered questions about what happened that morning.
In the wake of the tragedy, Matthew's family started a fundraiser to help with funeral expenses. His brother wrote, "My brother didn't deserve what happened to him. He was a loving bright person, loved by many people... Our family can't believe this is happening, we thank everyone that is able to help with anything we just want him to be laid to rest and have something beautiful for him."
As of early October 2026, the investigation into the murders of Matthew Gan-Dara and Moises Abraham Vasquez is active and ongoing. No arrests have been made, and no suspects have been publicly identified. The Porterville Police Department is urging anyone with information, no matter how minor it may seem, to come forward to help investigators piece together the events that led to the shooting. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Porterville Police Department at (559) 782-7400.
