On the afternoon of July 4, 2021, Jerry Gomez, a 36-year-old Hispanic male from Nyssa, Oregon, was discovered deceased in the driver's seat of a car. The vehicle was located in the parking lot of the Franz Bakery Outlet on Southwest Fourth Avenue in Ontario, Oregon, where police responded to a call around 4:30 p.m. Investigators noted that Gomez's body exhibited signs of trauma, leading them to treat the case as a homicide investigation.
Authorities with the Ontario Police Department
stated their belief that the death of Jerry Gomez might be gang-related, pointing to his past interactions with law enforcement and the company he kept. However, Gomez's family disputed this theory, suggesting that the motive was rooted in a personal conflict rather than any gang affiliation. His brother, Stevie Gomez, mentioned that Jerry was expected at a family barbecue later on the day he was found. At the time of his death, Jerry Gomez was employed in construction.
The investigation into Gomez's death was being handled by a major crimes unit, which included detectives from the Ontario Police Department, the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oregon State Police. While no arrests had been made in the immediate aftermath of the discovery, the Malheur County chief deputy district attorney, Brendon Alexander, confirmed that there were suspects in the case. Police Chief Steven Romero indicated that the investigation was hampered by limited witness cooperation, which he also attributed to the suspected gang connection.
