Late in the evening on January 26, 2016, Andrew Michael Barela left his Phoenix neighborhood for what was supposed to be a short walk and never made it back home. Andrew Michael Barela, a 28-year-old Hispanic male, lived in Phoenix, Arizona and was remembered by loved ones as a devoted partner and father whose loss left a deep void in his family’s life.
According to investigators, he left his home near 45th Avenue and Camelback Road shortly before 10 p.m., walking south along North 45th Avenue. As he approached West Weldon Avenue, a red Ford Mustang drove toward him and stopped as he crossed in front of the car. Witnesses and case summaries describe a brief exchange between Barela and the driver at the intersection before the situation suddenly turned violent. In the moments that followed, the driver opened fire, striking Barela and leaving him critically wounded on the street before speeding away into the night.
Police and emergency responders arrived quickly and Barela was rushed to a local hospital, but the injuries from multiple gunshot wounds proved fatal and he was pronounced dead a short time later. The suspect was described as an unidentified man driving a red Ford Mustang hardtop with distinctive peeling paint on the roof and trunk, a detail investigators repeatedly emphasized in public appeals because it could make the vehicle easier to recognize. Detectives canvassed the area and, at one point, stopped a car matching the Mustang’s general description, but that lead did not result in an arrest or publicly identified suspect.
In the days after the shooting, Barela’s family and friends gathered for a vigil near the scene, lighting candles and pleading for anyone with information to come forward. Local coverage described him as a family man whose children and long-time partner were shattered by the sudden, senseless killing, with relatives speaking about his playful personality and the way he brightened family gatherings. Online memorial pages and guest-book entries are filled with messages from loved ones calling him the love of their life, promising to look after his children, and expressing hope that justice will one day be served.
Despite these appeals, the investigation has remained open for years without a publicly announced arrest. Silent Witness continues to feature his case, offering a cash reward for information leading to the arrest or indictment of the person responsible and reiterating the description of the unknown male suspect and the red Mustang with peeling paint. The case also appears in cold-case and unsolved-homicide listings, indicating that, as of the most recent public updates, Phoenix police are still seeking the shooter and rely on tips from the community to identify whoever gunned down Andrew Michael Barela on that January night.
