On February 6, 2022, a tragic incident occurred at a house party in Cornelius, Oregon, resulting in the death of 20-year-old Jose Angel Rodriguez-Sanchez. The event unfolded when Cesar Yovanni Alvarez-Alcazar, also 20 years old at the time, attended the party and became heavily intoxicated. This state of intoxication led to a verbal argument between Alvarez-Alcazar and several partygoers, including the victim, Jose Angel Rodriguez-Sanchez.
The altercation escalated, and Alvarez-Alcazar, who was involved in the heated argument, pulled out a firearm and shot Jose Angel Rodriguez-Sanchez several times. In addition to firing at the victim, Alvarez-Alcazar also fired a shot at another partygoer, although fortunately, this individual was not hit. The victim, Jose Angel Rodriguez-Sanchez, succumbed to his injuries and died as a result of the shooting.
Following the shooting, Alvarez-Alcazar fled the scene before law enforcement arrived. Investigators from the Washington County Sheriff's Office and the deputies serving the City of Cornelius quickly identified Alvarez-Alcazar as the suspect in the murder. However, it took several months to apprehend him. On September 6, 2022, approximately seven months after the incident, Alvarez-Alcazar was arrested by officers from the Salem Police Department during a traffic stop. At the time of his arrest, police found a loaded handgun hidden under the driver's seat of his vehicle, along with 400 rounds of ammunition and body armor.
The case against Alvarez-Alcazar was prosecuted by Senior Deputy District Attorney John Gerhard and Deputy District Attorney Dustin Staten from the Washington County District Attorney's Office. Prior to the trial, Alvarez-Alcazar pled no contest to Unlawful Possession of a Firearm. On April 23, 2024, a Washington County jury found him guilty of Murder in the Second Degree and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. Judge Theodore Sims subsequently sentenced Alvarez-Alcazar to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Alvarez-Alcazar will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin serving his sentence.
