DATE/TIME: Thursday, October 16, 2014
DATE/TIME OF INCIDENT: January 12, 1992/10:00 P.M.
INCIDENT: PC 187 - Homicide
LOCATION: Newberry Springs, CA.
SUSPECT: Gabino Mondragon Morales, age 49, a resident of Phoeniz, AZ
VICTIM: Fidelmar Meza Garcia, age 25, of Arvin, CA
SUMMARY:
On January 12, 1992, a Hispanic male adult was found shot to death on the side
of Newberry Springs Road, two and a half miles east of Old National Trails Highway
in Newberry Springs. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Homicide
Detail was summoned to the scene and detectives began a homicide investigation.
Detectives positively identified the victim as Fidel Meza Garcia, age 25 from Arvin,
California.
In 1992, numerous family, friends, and witnesses were interviewed regarding Garcia's
murder. For several years, Garcia lived in the United States for 9 months during
the harvest season and Mexico for three, during the off season. Garcia worked in
the fruit fields in Arvin, to support his wife and child in Mexico.
On January 11, 1992, at approximately 11:00 P.M., witnesses observed two armed men
kidnap Garcia from his residence in Arvin, California. The following morning,
Garcia was found shot to death in San Bernardino County, 170 miles south of his residence.
Homicide investigators conducted an exhaustive investigation, but the case went cold.
On July 3, 2014, the Sheriff's Department's Cold Case Detectives reopened the case.
The detectives identified, located and interviewed numerous witnesses, which resulted in
evidence identifying the suspect, Gabino Mondragon Morales, as a suspect in this murder.
On October 8, 2014, cold case detectives traveled to Phoenix, Arizona and interviewed Morales.
At the conclusion of the interview, Morales was arrested and booked into the Maricopa County
Jail for the murder of Fidelmar Meza Garcia. Garcia was transported back to
San Bernardino County on Thursday, October 16, 2014 and booked into the West Valley
Detention Center.
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information regarding this incident
is urged to contact Detectives Jerry Davenport or Rob Trostle at (909) 387-3589.
Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to call the We-tip Hotline at
1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or you may leave information on the We-Tip website at www.wetip.com.
Refer: Detectives Jerry Davenport or Rob Trostle
Station: Homicide Detail
Case No.: H# 1992-004, DR# 089200110
Phone No.: (909) 387-3589