On a grim Monday morning, December 12, 2022, the body of 19-year-old Mario Nez was discovered abandoned on the shoulder of Interstate 8 near mile marker 65 in Yuma County, Arizona. The young man, a resident of Tempe, had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene by authorities who were first alerted to a report of a man lying on the roadside at approximately 7:15 a.m.
Investigators with the Yuma County Sheriff's Office soon connected the homicide to a vehicle
collision that occurred further down the interstate at mile marker 54. One of the vehicles involved in the crash was linked to the scene where Mario's body was found. This discovery prompted a search for the driver who was believed to have fled the area on foot.
The suspect was identified as Jose Adan Gallardo, the 36-year-old father of the victim. An extensive search of the desert area near the crash site was launched. With the assistance of helicopters, law enforcement was able to locate Gallardo in the vicinity of Mohawk Pass. He was taken into custody over 10 hours after the initial discovery of his son's body.
Jose Gallardo, a resident of Mesa, was arrested and initially charged with first-degree murder. The investigation revealed that the father and son had been traveling together from California back to the Phoenix area when the fatal incident occurred. In July 2023, Gallardo accepted a plea agreement, pleading guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder. This plea resulted in a sentence of 20 years in prison.
