On July 24, 2024, at approximately 10:40 a.m., 40-year-old Marco Antonio Vargas Arellano of Burlington, North Carolina, was fatally shot inside the Food Lion grocery store located at 1535 Union Cross Road in Kernersville. Upon arrival, officers found Arellano with multiple gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Arellano was employed as a delivery driver for Utz Brands, a snack company, and was performing his work duties at the time of the incident. Utz Brands expressed deep sorrow over the loss, stating, "The entire Utz Brands, Inc. family is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our friend and business partner, Marco Vargas."
The suspect, 38-year-old Dillon Randolph Kiger of Kernersville, remained at the scene following the shooting and was subsequently arrested by the Kernersville Police Department. He has been charged with general murder and is being held at the Forsyth County Detention Center without bond.
Kiger has a prior criminal history, including felony charges of breaking and entering, larceny, and property false pretense. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and authorities have described the incident as isolated, indicating no ongoing threat to the public. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact the Kernersville Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 336-996-3177.
Friends and colleagues remember Arellano as an upbeat and kind-hearted individual. Stephanie Crawford, a friend, remarked, "If you knew him, he wouldn’t kill a fly... He would actually pick the fly up and take it outside to release it." He is survived by his wife and four children.
