On August 16, 2024, 47-year-old Efren Reynoso was found fatally shot inside his residence on East 8th Street near A Street in Antioch, California. A concerned neighbor, having heard gunshots earlier that morning, contacted the police around 7:30 a.m., prompting a welfare check that led to the discovery of Reynoso's body.
In the days following the incident, Antioch Police Department detectives conducted a thorough investigation, which resulted in the identification of two suspects: 21-year-old Elijah Birba and 23-year-old Christopher Paez Jr. With assistance from the Stockton Police Department, both individuals were apprehended without incident on August 27, 2024.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office has since filed charges against Birba and Paez, including murder under California Penal Code 187 and a special allegation for the personal and intentional discharge of a firearm causing death under Penal Code 12022.53(d). Both suspects are being held at the Martinez Detention Facility, each with bail set at $1 million.
Authorities have not publicly disclosed a motive for the killing. The investigation remains active, and anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact Detective Becerra at the Antioch Police Department.
