On a summer evening in Salt Lake City, Utah, 7-year-old Hispanic Maria Del Carmen Menchaca was playing in her front yard on July 6, 2008. The young girl, full of life, had just returned home from a neighbor's birthday party. Her joyful play was cut short when a single bullet from a drive-by shooting struck and killed her. The shot was not intended for her; the target was her older cousin who was with her at the time.
The incident sparked immediate outrage and calls for action against gang violence from community leaders and residents.
The investigation into Maria's death led to the arrest of three individuals who were in the SUV from which the fatal shot was fired. The shooter was identified as 16-year-old Gabriel Alejandro Alvarez. The driver of the vehicle was 20-year-old Frank Puga Benavidez, and a 16-year-old female, Mae Goodman Johnson, was also present. According to reports, the shooting stemmed from an earlier confrontation that day involving Benavidez and Johnson and Maria's cousin, Luis Menchaca. Johnson later retrieved a gun from her home and gave it to Alvarez.
The three suspects were charged in connection with the senseless killing. Gabriel Alejandro Alvarez was convicted of murder and sentenced to 16 years to life in prison. In 2023, he appeared before the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole for the first time. Frank Puga Benavidez, the driver, pleaded guilty to first-degree felony murder and also faced a sentence of 16 years to life in prison. Mae Goodman Johnson, who provided the weapon, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of second-degree felony manslaughter. The death of young Maria left her family devastated and a community grappling with the tragic consequences of gang violence.
