On the evening of September 1, 2022, a young man named Joe 'Joey' A. Flores, age 24, was fatally shot in the parking lot of a Buffalo Wild Wings located on North Cassia Street in Nampa, Idaho. Emergency services were dispatched to the scene at 8:51 p.m. where they found Flores with gunshot wounds. Despite the life-saving measures performed by officers and medical personnel, he succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
It was later determined that Flores was an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of a gang-related dispute and was not a member of either gang involved.
For nearly two years, the case remained a painful open wound for his family and the community. However, in May 2024, a significant breakthrough in the investigation led to the arrest of six individuals described by police as local gang members. Among them, Brian G. Moreno, 23, of Nampa, was charged with first-degree murder with a gang enhancement and rioting with a gang enhancement. According to a grand jury indictment, Moreno is accused of willfully, unlawfully, deliberately, and with malice aforethought, and with premeditation, killing Flores by shooting him in the back. A cellphone video from the scene reportedly captured one individual encouraging Moreno to get a gun just before the fatal shots were fired.
In addition to Moreno, several other suspects were apprehended and are facing a range of serious charges. Pedro A. Navarro was charged with aiding and abetting first-degree murder with a gang enhancement and rioting with a gang enhancement. Emanuel Bautista Roblero, 21, and Gabriel Bernal, 24, both from Nampa, were each charged with accessory to a felony, rioting with a gang enhancement, and multiple counts of perjury. Lazaro C. Vela was charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting at Navarro during the altercation, while Justina Amereah Cedillo, 20, of Nampa, faces a charge of perjury. The arrests brought a long-awaited sense of progress for the family of Joe Flores, who had been desperately seeking answers in the tragic and senseless death of their loved one.
