In the early morning hours of May 19, a tragic event unfolded in Lilburn, Georgia, that ended the life of 30-year-old Kevin Valdez. He was discovered deceased inside a red car parked in the lot of a shopping center located at 880 Indian Trail Road. The initial call to the Gwinnett County Police Department came in at approximately 3:15 a.m., reporting a man found dead. Upon their arrival, officers confirmed the grim discovery, finding Valdez in the passenger seat of the vehicle.
As investigators began to piece together the events of that morning, they determined that the shopping center parking lot was not the primary crime scene. The incident that led to the fatal shooting is believed to have started further down Indian Trail Road, somewhere between Dickens and Burns roads, before concluding at the shopping center where Valdez's body was found. The motive behind the shooting remained unclear in the initial stages of the investigation. A woman was also reportedly injured by a gunshot in the same incident but was said to be out of danger.
Following weeks of investigation, a suspect was identified and apprehended. Alexis Coria, a 27-year-old resident of Lawrenceville, was arrested on June 5 in connection with the death of Kevin Valdez. Fugitive investigators located Coria leaving a residence in Dunwoody and followed him to Acworth, where he was taken into custody without incident during a felony traffic stop. Coria has been charged with malice murder, felony murder, and two counts of aggravated assault. Authorities have identified Coria as a member of the Surenos gang. He is currently being held without bond at the Gwinnett County Jail.
