Pete Anthony Renteria
Overview
Pete Anthony Renteria is a California man accused of committing four fatal shootings during two separate incidents in 2023. Because the criminal allegations have not been publicly established through a final conviction, he is more accurately described as an accused multiple murderer or suspected serial killer. Authorities allege that he killed three members of his own family inside their shared residence in January 2023 and remained at large for eight months before killing another man at a public park.
The two incidents occurred in neighboring communities in San Bernardino County. The first involved a private family residence near Ontario and Montclair, while the second unfolded in broad daylight at Memorial Park in Upland. All four victims were shot. Renteria was identified as the primary suspect in the family killings but avoided capture until officers responded to the later park shooting on September 30, 2023.
The Ramirez Family Killings
On the evening of January 30, 2023, three members of the Ramirez family were fatally shot inside a house in the 4800 block of Ramona Place. The residence was in an unincorporated section of San Bernardino County near the borders of Ontario and Montclair and carried an Ontario mailing address. Deputies were summoned to the property shortly after 9:00 p.m. after another resident entered the house and discovered the victims.
The dead were identified as George Ramirez, his wife, Sonia Ramirez, and their adult son, David Ramirez. Each had suffered multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators determined that the deaths were homicides and did not believe the incident was a murder-suicide. Neighbors reported hearing noises that sounded like fireworks earlier in the evening, but the quiet residential neighborhood did not immediately realize that a deadly attack had occurred inside the home.
Renteria reportedly lived at the residence and was related to all three victims. He was described as the grandson of George and Sonia Ramirez and the nephew of David Ramirez. When he failed to return to the house following the discovery of the bodies, detectives began treating him as a person of interest. After approximately two and a half weeks of investigation, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department publicly identified him as the primary suspect.
Authorities released photographs of Renteria and appealed to the public for assistance locating him. No definite motive for the family killings was publicly disclosed. The victims’ relatives described George and Sonia as compassionate and devoted parents whose lives centered on their family. David was remembered as a protective brother, supportive son and devoted father. The killings left surviving relatives struggling to understand why three members of the same household had been attacked.
Eight Months as a Fugitive
After being named as the suspect, Renteria remained missing for approximately eight months. Investigators searched for him while warning that he was wanted in connection with three killings involving a firearm. Despite the publicity surrounding the case, he was not located during the months following the January homicides.
During this period, the investigation remained active, but authorities released few details concerning the evidence that had led them to identify Renteria. They did not announce a clear motive, nor did they explain where he was believed to have stayed while avoiding capture. His disappearance prolonged the uncertainty surrounding the Ramirez family deaths and left investigators waiting for an opportunity to arrest and question him.
The Memorial Park Shooting
On September 30, 2023, exactly eight months after the Ramirez family was killed, Upland police received reports of gunfire at Memorial Park on East San Bernardino Road. The shooting occurred shortly before noon in or near the park’s southeastern parking area. Officers arrived and found a 34-year-old man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Police officers and San Bernardino County Fire Department personnel attempted to save the victim, but he died from his injuries. His name was not publicly released in the initial reports. Witnesses told police that the gunman had fled toward the southwest, giving officers a direction in which to search.
Responding officers located and detained Renteria a short time later. Police also recovered a handgun believed to have been used in the shooting. Investigators alleged that Renteria and the victim had been involved in an earlier confrontation at the same park. Renteria allegedly left after the dispute but later returned and deliberately sought out the victim before opening fire. Police therefore characterized the killing as a targeted attack rather than a random shooting of a stranger.
Arrest and Connection to the Earlier Killings
Renteria was arrested following the Memorial Park shooting and booked into the San Bernardino County jail on a murder charge. Once his identity was confirmed, officers learned that he was the same man sought by sheriff’s homicide detectives for the January deaths of George, Sonia and David Ramirez.
His arrest brought an end to the eight-month search but opened a broader investigation into two separate homicide scenes. Detectives examined the recovered handgun and other evidence to determine its connection to the park killing and whether it had any relationship to the earlier shootings. Publicly available reports did not establish that the same firearm was used in both incidents.
The arrest meant that Renteria was accused of causing four deaths during 2023. Three of the victims were members of his family, while the fourth was a man with whom police said he had recently argued. Although the events have led some crime databases to label Renteria a serial killer, the attacks occurred in two incidents rather than four separate episodes. His precise legal classification depends on the evidence, the charges filed and the outcome of the criminal proceedings.
Victims
- Sonia Ramirez, 68 — Fatally shot on January 30, 2023, inside her family’s residence in the 4800 block of Ramona Place, an unincorporated area of San Bernardino County near Ontario and Montclair, California. She was Renteria’s grandmother.
- George Ramirez, 72 — Fatally shot on January 30, 2023, inside the Ramona Place residence near Ontario and Montclair, California. He was Sonia Ramirez’s husband and Renteria’s grandfather. Some early news reports listed his age as 66, while sheriff-based reports identified him as 72.
- David Ramirez, 43 — Fatally shot on January 30, 2023, inside the same Ramona Place home. He was the son of George and Sonia Ramirez and was identified as Renteria’s uncle. Some reports also referred to him as David Renteria.
- Unidentified 34-year-old man — Shot and killed on September 30, 2023, at Memorial Park on East San Bernardino Road in Upland, California. Police alleged that Renteria returned to the park after an earlier altercation and specifically targeted him.
Earlier Criminal History
Before the 2023 homicide allegations, Renteria reportedly had a history of firearm-related criminal convictions. Public accounts indicate that he had previously been prosecuted for negligently discharging a firearm, shooting at an inhabited building or vehicle and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Those earlier cases resulted in periods of incarceration and legally prohibited him from possessing a gun.
This history became significant after his 2023 arrest because police said they recovered a handgun while taking him into custody. However, the earlier firearm offenses were separate from the homicide allegations and should not be treated as proof that he committed the four killings. The murder accusations must be evaluated on the evidence presented in the relevant criminal cases.
Unanswered Questions
The central unanswered question is why three members of the Ramirez family were killed. Authorities identified Renteria as their suspected killer but did not publicly announce a confirmed motive. It is unclear whether the shootings followed a family dispute, reflected a longer period of conflict or resulted from circumstances known only to the people inside the home.
The motive for the Memorial Park shooting appears less mysterious because police reported an earlier confrontation between Renteria and the victim. Investigators nevertheless did not disclose what caused the argument or why it allegedly escalated into a fatal attack. The identity of the fourth victim also remained withheld in the widely available initial reports.
Legal Status
Renteria’s alleged conduct resulted in his arrest on murder charges, but an accusation is not the same as a conviction. He is presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt in court. For that reason, descriptions of him as a serial killer should be understood as informal classifications based on the allegations rather than a final judicial determination.
The case attracted attention because of the number of deaths, the family relationship between Renteria and three of the victims, and the length of time he remained free before his arrest. The second shooting also demonstrated the danger authorities believed he posed while he was wanted. His capture allowed investigators to pursue answers for both the Ramirez family and the relatives of the man killed at Memorial Park.
