Former California mayor’s daughter 1 of 2 killed in gas station shooting

Two people were shot and killed at a Monterey County gas station, including the daughter of a former Soledad mayor, officials said. 

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The shooting happened at a Fastrip gas station on Monday, the Greenfield Police Department said in a Facebook post that didn’t name the victims. An officer “arrived on scene just 53 seconds after the initial 911 call,” the post said, but officials did not say what led up to the shooting. 

The two people were identified by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Coroner Office in a statement Tuesday as Elizabeth Saavedra, a 32-year-old Soledad resident, and Aldo Juan Mandujano, a 26-year-old King City resident. 

Guillermo Mixer, the Greenfield police chief, told SFGATE by email Thursday that the motive appears to be “gang-related” but investigators saw no reason to think Saavedra was associated with gangs in any way. 

Mixer called the shooting a “tragic situation in our small community.” Police Tuesday told KSBW-TV that the two victims, identified as a couple, were pumping gas when multiple gunmen fired as much as 30 rounds.

“It appears to be an ambush, a very deliberate attack on both occupants,” Mixer told the outlet.

Investigators believe the shooting may have been intended as an act of retaliation after a King City man was killed in May on his way to his daughter’s soccer game in Soledad, KSBW-TV reported. There is currently no known threat to the public, the police department said on Facebook.

Multiple city and county leaders have spoke out following the shooting, including Soledad Mayor Anna Velazquez. Saavedra was the daughter of former Soledad Mayor John Saavedra, Velazquez said in a Facebook post Tuesday. She also extended her condolences to Mandujano’s family. 

“Our hearts are broken by the tragic and senseless loss of Elizabeth Saavedra,” Velazquez wrote. “… As a mayor and as a mother, this heartbreaking tragedy is difficult to comprehend. The loss of a life so full of kindness, generosity, and love is devastating to our entire community.” 

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Saavedra grew up in Soledad, according to Velazquez, and taught folklórico dance with Baile Folklórico Costa de California, a dance company based in Salinas. “We are going to miss you very much,” an Instagram post from the dance company read. Saavedra also owned a barbershop, according to KSBW-TV.

A GoFundMe page, which has raised more than $14,500 out of its $16,000 goal as of Friday morning, says Saavedra was the mother of twin 4-year-old boys. A flyer that Velazquez shared with SFGATE shows that memorial services for Saavedra are planned for July 2 and 3. 

“This is a very challenging time,” Velazquez told SFGATE in an email.

Chris Lopez, a Monterey County supervisor, also commented on Saavedra’s death, saying she had a “heartbeat full of more to give.”

“We pray for those she leaves behind and promise to do all we can so that cycles break and perpetrators meet justice,” Lopez wrote. “Don’t become numb, don’t let it feel like a normal occurrence. Allow the gravity and weight of the moment to pour over and through you and vow to be a part of the solution.”

Authorities are still investigating the shooting and reviewing surveillance footage, including Flock camera footage, police said on Facebook Tuesday. The Greenfield Police Department is looking to speak with anyone who was at the gas station when the shooting happened and is asking the public to upload any related images or videos to its website. Anyone with information about the shooting is also urged to contact the police department at (831) 385-8311.