He passed away. I'm sorry. It's 6:30 p.m. on June 30th. An armed man is stalking his ex-girlfriend, Tasha Castaneda, who's attending another man's birthday party. In just a few minutes, he plans to go in and do the unthinkable. You may or may not need to tell me exactly what happened. Okay, um my brother had his birthday dinner and I think he invited a girl and I think the girl the girl's boyfriend, I think he showed up and he shot my brother. Officers quickly rushed to the scene, completely unaware of the horror they're about to walk into. Thank you. 441 OUT WEATHER. IS THERE ANYBODY IN THE HOUSE? MA'AM, who's in the house? Does anybody have a gun in here? Okay. Okay, here. Watch out. Watch out. Watch out. Okay. Here, honey. That's what you got where? It's right there. Okay. I need you to move, ma'am. >> Please. Okay, give me a flashlight. Shine my flashlight right here, okay? Yes. Yes, five uh EMS's entering. Where's it at? Right there in the shoulder? Yep. I got a real faint pulse. The victim is 22-year-old Kelly Torres, struck six times in the upper body. His pulse is so faint, officers can't tell if [music] he's moments from death or already gone. But with no time to waste, especially with a killer on the loose, they rush him outside and scramble him into the ambulance. Take monitor off. Lay it back. All right. We got one to the neck. >> Yep. There's another one to this arm. Okay, put this rail up. >> seals on the on the abdomen. Appreciate you. He's not going to make it. Barely. And it may have been a sign of pulse from him or not. Cuz he was losing a lot of blood. That's why I stopped CPR cuz he was losing more blood from CPR than he was with just the chest seals on there. Kelly is rushed to the hospital clinging to life. With his condition uncertain, officers turn to the witnesses inside the home desperate to figure out what exactly had happened. And they don't know it yet, but the suspect is already fleeing and they're racing against the clock to catch him. So, the first person they speak to is the victim's sister, Alondra Rosales. And what she reveals makes it clear the shooter was targeting someone specific. Is it just you guys here? Yes. Okay. All right. One second. Okay. Well, who was home when this happened? Um my mom, uh her and me. Uh there was a guy who came in and he opened the door and he picked this up and I saw he had a gun and I told my mom to grab my son take him to the room. And he asked her He said, "What are you doing here?" And I don't know what to reply and then he asked, "Do you love me?" "What are you doing here?" And he shot. I heard four to six shots. I can't remember exactly. Um and then he just walked he just ran out. From Alondra's account, it becomes clear that the woman sitting behind her on the sofa, 21-year-old Tasha Castaneda, is connected to the shooter. And when they turn to speak with her, they discover she knows exactly what went down. What's his name? Melvin or Lando Gabarra Jr. So, it it's your ex-boyfriend? Why don't you have him outside? All right, when did y'all break up? It's been 5 weeks. Was he violent during your relationship? Yes. Did it ever get reported? No. I don't know how he has my location. I've turned it off. He's literally He's literally popped up to my job. He's pulled up everywhere that Okay. He He's been talking about he was going to hurt He was going to hurt me. Have you known Kelly for a long time? Yes. Today is the first day that I've taken something in years. How long were you here? I wasn't even here for 20 minutes. Jesus. It's not the first one. Like he'll say if I did something that he would hurt somebody. And he's going to go I think he already tried because he had marks on his neck. While talking to Tasha, it quickly becomes clear that Melvin is dangerous and unpredictable. Tasha explains [music] that she and Melvin had been together for 6 years before breaking up just 5 weeks earlier. Since then, [music] he had unraveled, threatening her, stalking her, attempting to harm himself, and creating multiple terrifying incidents that left her in constant fear. It was obvious this wasn't just a breakup gone bad. It was an obsession turned violent. And what unsettles them the most is Tasha's fear that Melvin always seems to know where she is. Somehow, he's tracking her, which means even now, she may not be safe. With this in mind, police issue a statewide bolo for Melvin and his white dually pickup. The manhunt is on, but catching him will prove to be anything but simple. Hours pass with no sign of Melvin. It feels like he's vanished. And with a gunman on the loose, every minute that slips by only raises the danger. But, after nearly 5 hours, a lead finally comes in. Melvin's truck, parked outside a home in the city. Officers race to the scene, surrounding the property, and preparing for the worst. For the first time that night, it seems like they might finally have him cornered. But, as they're about to learn, this won't be as simple as it seems. Melvin, this is the Big Valley Sheriff's Department. We know you're inside the residence. We are not leaving. Come to the door with your hands above your head. Do it now. Officers surround the house, weapons drawn, calling for Melvin to come out. They make contact with the homeowner, his friend's mother, hoping she can provide information about his whereabouts. But, it quickly appears to the officers that she isn't being entirely truthful. She's being She's being evasive. She said that he showed up around 6:30 when she got home. Melvin did, our suspect. And she doesn't know where they went after that. And is it his vehicle? Uh apparently Mario's driving a tan truck. That's not that tan truck. But, she said it's a tan truck, but it's not that tan truck. She doesn't know anything besides tan truck. Yep. Is it on the same insurance plan? I have no clue. Why would you leave in a tan truck? Well, so she says they have two tan trucks suddenly. She says they have two tan trucks. I think they're inside. Officers begin to suspect she's not telling the whole truth. Melvin's car is still parked outside, suggesting he hasn't left the scene, and her evasiveness only fuels their doubts. So, they split up. Some continue to watch the house, while others push into the wooded area by the house, guns raised, searching for Melvin, bracing for an ambush. Radio 3. Anybody come across this area? I think we have them all ordered. I got one window. Okay, just for my one of our precious stuff, so I won't be able to see him in the house, but if he like tries to hop this fence or something, we got the left side. Temp, we got about four or five guys on the other side of the house. Officers sweep through the trees, but the search comes up empty with no sign of him anywhere. So, they hold their position in the woody area in case he makes an escape from the house. Back in front of the residence, a radio call comes in, and it soon seems like the mother was telling the truth after all. Dispatch, all units, status update. The mother says that our suspect is with her son in a tan or champagne Chevrolet driving around trying to calm him down. Keep your eyes out on the perimeter for a tan Silverado. I'll try to get more identifying information on that as we go. Is it not this one that's in the driveway already? Yeah, no. No, they they're gone around then. So, her son's driving around with the homicide suspect just, you know, trying to calm him down. What you guys out there seeing? What is relevant? The confirmation from the officer flips the situation on its head. Melvin isn't inside the house at all. He's already gone, driving through the city with his friend Mario in a truck nearly identical to the one in the driveway. The mistake has cost officers precious time, and now they're back to square one with a dangerous gunman still on the loose. Over the next hour, the manhunt intensifies. Multiple units scouring the city desperate to spot Melvin before he disappears again. Then, one of the patrols stumbles on something strange. A flipped truck matching the description of Melvin's vehicle on the side of the road. >> [music] >> As officers inspect the overturned truck, it quickly becomes clear that it is not the vehicle Melvin was driving. The search continues across the city as investigators pursue other possible leads. >> [music] >> Yet again, officers run into a false lead. This time even pursuing the wrong vehicle. With no confirmed sightings of Melvin's truck, confidence in the search begins to fade. But, just as it seems he may have gotten away, another radio call comes in. After more than an hour of relentless searching and several false leads, an officer finally spots the vehicle at South Southeast Loop 323 and confirms that Melvin and Mario are inside. They radio for backup and within minutes multiple units rush to the scene taking positions to the south and west of the truck preparing to confront Melvin, but they [music] can't take any chances because based on Tasha's earlier statements, it's clear Melvin isn't afraid of dying and could do something extremely reckless. So, officers approach with caution. 10-6 HEY! HEY! HEY! HANDS! HANDS! HANDS! KEEP WALK BACKWARDS. HEY, I GOT IT. WALK BACKWARDS. Keep walking back right there. Stay! Stop! Keep your hands up. All right, get on your knees. Keep your hands up. Negative, we got one up. Face away from me. Hands up. Walk back. Keep coming. If this is I got pistol, I'll go cover. Keep coming. Keep your hands up. Keep walking back. Keep your hands up. All right, let's Yep. Yep. 29, I got the driver contained in my vehicle. All right, take a seat for me. Wait for you whatever you need. Is your boy? Okay. Have a seat. Sorry, can I get you anything, bro? Officers immediately detain Melvin and Mario and bring them to the station for questioning. Right now, detectives need a confession. All they have are witness accounts and accusations. Without something concrete, the case could collapse in court and Melvin could walk free. So, detectives prepare for the interrogation, but almost immediately it becomes clear that getting Melvin to confess or even say anything at all will prove far more difficult than expected. So, what happened now, man? It's a lot of dumb stuff. So, she [clears throat] tell you where she was at tonight? No. How'd you figure out where she's at? Troll. Her troll? You have like an app or something like that? Mhm. So, what all did you do when you knew where she was at? Was she like not answering or something? Yeah, wasn't answering. You what? Yeah, she wasn't answering. I don't know. She didn't tell you where she was at, you just showed up over there? So, what all happened when you got over there, man? I don't know. I was messed up. You were messed up? Just acting in the moment? Whatever I was feeling, I was intoxicated. What were you intoxicated on, man? Alcohol. Alcohol? How much did you have to drink? So, were you aiming at anybody when you shot or you just firing or what? I don't You know how many times you shot? Like one or two times, a bunch of times? >> [music] >> No. Do you know if you hit anybody? I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. But, you did hit somebody. And that person's dead. Melvin barely responds to the detectives, only mumbling occasionally. Frustrated, but strategic, the detectives change their approach, steering the conversation towards his relationship with Tasha, knowing that his obsession might finally make him open up. How long you all been together? 7 years. 7 years? So, you you were like 21? So, like high school sweethearts for the most part? So, you all Were you all engaged at one point or something? Yes, sir. Cuz I'm not trying to get up in your business. What you all fighting over? I guess for not being enough. For not being enough, I don't know, man. So, why'd you bring the gun over there, man? You said you were mad, right? Were you trying to hurt Tasha or not? I don't know, man. I don't know what I was doing. I don't know what I was doing. I don't know what I was doing. Were you just feeling mad? Seeing red? I don't know what I was seeing, dude. I don't drink a lot, dude, so I don't know, man. I wanted to feel whatever she was feeling. Were you mad that she was there with another dude? No, not really. I was trying to get over everything. I really don't know, man. I don't know what I don't know what's been going on the past few days, man. Haven't had any sleep. Been thinking about this I don't know what's going on. I was trying. I was trying to to get back together, I guess. Help, I mean, I don't even know where we were. Cuz I don't know. I don't know. I was just there trying to make things better. Describe that to me, man. What do you mean by that? I don't know, man. So, I've been working hard, man. Struggling. >> [music] >> Fighting. She just wanted me to get drunk. I wanted to feel it. She been trying to work through the relationship and she just wants to For you to party or what? I don't know, man. I think that was her intention to just leave. Just That's what she was ready for. I don't know. Melvin finally revealed everything they needed. An obsession with Tasha, mixed with jealousy over her being at another man's birthday, drove Melvin to murder. And with his pattern of threats and violent outbursts, it was only a matter of time before it ended in tragedy. Though he claimed [music] to be under the influence that night, the fact that he fired six shots suggests this wasn't an accident, but an intentional act. Back at the hospital, Kelly Torres was pronounced dead from his injuries. He would never make it home from what should have been his 22nd birthday. [music] As for the others that night, Melvin's friend Mario had only been driving him around, trying to calm him down. He was eventually released without charges. Melvin, however, was charged with murder on June 30th, 2024, and held on $500,000 bail. On February 2nd, after a 2-day trial, he was found guilty of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole.