Leandro Mendoza, a 21-year-old male, was fatally shot in Clifton, New Jersey, on October 16, 2015, during an armed robbery. The incident occurred as Mendoza and a co-worker were closing the Lexington Liquor store on Lexington Avenue. A group of individuals approached them, and at least one of them opened fire. Mendoza was struck by the gunfire and died from his injuries. The other employee sustained minor injuries in the attack. Family and friends described Mendoza as a hardworking and always smiling aspiring rapper who was not involved in any trouble.
The investigation into the homicide was conducted by the Clifton Police Department and the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office. Their efforts led to the arrest of four suspects in the days following the shooting. Among them was 18-year-old Owen Soltis of Clifton, and three 17-year-old males. Due to their ages, the names of the juvenile suspects were not publicly released.
The investigation revealed that the suspects had planned to rob the liquor store.
In the subsequent legal proceedings, one of the juvenile suspects, Darial Pena, who was 17 at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated manslaughter. In court, Pena admitted to his hand being on the trigger when the gun discharged, killing Mendoza. As part of a plea agreement, he was sentenced to 16 years in state prison and agreed to testify against the other defendants. Another suspect, Owen Soltis, who was identified by prosecutors as the 'lookout' during the robbery, also accepted a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with the requirement to serve eight and a half years before being eligible for parole. The legal outcomes for the remaining two suspects were not detailed in the available information.
