Family of slain security guard still searching for justice 10 weeks after his killing
St Paul MN January 2 2023
Ten weeks after Gabriel Mendoza-Cordova’s violent death while working security outside of Uptown’s Firehouse Restaurant and Lounge, his mother and father Katrina Garcia-Mendoza and Eddie Garcia are in pain and are still waiting for justice.
In an effort to get the word out on Gabriel’s unsolved murder, they hired a billboard truck to drive around Uptown on New Year’s Eve. They are hoping someone with information will come forward.
On Oct. 16, Gabriel was working at Firehouse when shots were fired outside. His family says as he tried to protect others, a bullet hit him in the neck.
“There are some people alive because of Gabe [and] his moves that night,” Katrina said. “To me he died a hero.”
However, Katrina and Eddie now feel Firehouse’s management is sitting out of the effort to find Gabriel’s killer. After paying for some of Gabriel’s funeral expenses, the family says the restaurant has been unresponsive.
“I wanted to hang our flyers up inside the bathroom stalls,” Katrina explained. “It was sad and disappointing, because I thought that we were allies.”
After the billboard truck did its rounds on Saturday, it came to a stop across the street from Firehouse to make sure the crowd gathered there would see their message.
“Something that would let people know we’re not going away,” Katrina finished.
After fundraisers at El Burrito Mercado and Boca Chica Restaurant, the family has been able to increase its pool of reward money from $2,500 to $10,000. Anyone with information can submit a tip anonymously here.
