Tristen Aguilar Rodriguez

Tristen Rudy Alexander Aguilar Rodriguez was a friendly, outgoing 12-year-old boy who loved to play football and dreamed of one day joining the NFL. A student at Mountain View Middle School, the young Hispanic male was the middle child of five and the first son in his family. His mother, Brianda Rodriguez, remembered him as special and loving, recalling his last words to her were, "'Bye mom, I love you, see you later.'"

On October 10, 2024, Tristen’s life was cut short. Around noon, deputies from the Kern County Sheriff's Office were called to the Lamont Mobile Estates on Gregory Avenue in Lamont, California, for a report of a gunshot victim. When they arrived, they found Tristen deceased at the scene from a gunshot wound. His mother later said she believed his killing was intentional and emphasized that her son was not involved in gangs or gun violence.

The investigation led to a swift arrest. That same evening, around 10 p.m., deputies located and arrested a male juvenile suspect about a mile away on Di Giorgio Road. The suspect, later identified by prosecutors as Javier Leo Armendariz, was booked into Juvenile Hall. In the wake of the tragedy, the Lamont Elementary School District made counseling and support services available to students and staff to help them cope with the sudden loss of their classmate.

Prosecutors in the Kern County District Attorney's Office filed a petition in juvenile court alleging first-degree murder against Armendariz. The case reached a conclusion when, on January 13, Javier Leo Armendariz pleaded guilty to a murder charge and a probation violation. A dispositional hearing, which is the juvenile court’s equivalent of a sentencing hearing, was scheduled for February 5. The case was considered resolved as of the guilty plea in January 2025.