In the parking lot of a Glendale, Arizona, Walmart on a Saturday evening, a minor vehicle collision tragically escalated, ending the life of 30-year-old Baseme Mirindi John, a Black/African American male. On August 14, 2021, what began as a simple accident quickly turned fatal.
Surveillance footage from the store located near 55th and Northern avenues captured the sequence of events. John’s vehicle was seen striking a parked car.
A man and a woman emerged from the struck vehicle and approached John's car. As they did, John's car reversed and hit their vehicle a second time. At this point, the man from the other car was seen firing a gun towards John's vehicle as John was attempting to drive away.
After the shooting, the man and woman got back into their car and left the Walmart parking lot. Glendale Police found Baseme Mirindi John in his vehicle with gunshot wounds to his torso. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators were able to identify a license plate number on the suspect's car from the security footage. This led them to 32-year-old Sammy Mendoza of Tolleson. Mendoza's appearance matched the man seen in the surveillance video. Upon his arrest, Mendoza allegedly confessed to firing the gun. He claimed his intention was to intimidate John and that he was unaware that the shots had hit him. He reportedly expressed remorse for his actions.
Mendoza was subsequently booked into the Maricopa County jail on one count of second-degree murder. Public records indicated that Mendoza had been released from prison earlier the same year after serving a 14-year sentence for armed robbery and assault.
