A memorial of candles, flowers and favorite snacks marks the spot in Dinuba where 19-year-old Adrian Ayala of Orange Cove was shot and killed.
Ayala's family said he was riding home with a co-worker after finishing his shift at the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Visalia on August 21, when the shooting occurred.
"At 3 a.m., our officers were dispatched to the northern part of the city, Alta and Nebraska Avenue, for a shooting that had just occurred. Upon arrival, they learned it was a car-to-car shooting," Lt. Thaddeus Ashford said. "Our victims were northbound on Alta, and after they had passed around the roundabout at Alta and Nebraska, a vehicle behind them began overtaking them, and as they were overtaking them, someone from the vehicle began shooting into our victim's vehicle."
Police said the gunfire struck Ayala, killing him.
The shooting happened during the overnight hours, and detectives are reviewing surveillance footage in an effort to determine what led up to the attack.
"They've been contacting different businesses along the route that we believe that they took, and so they've been checking with them for anything," Ashford said.
As the investigation continues, Ayala's family is remembering him through photos and memories shared from happier times.
His sister told Action News she was grateful Ayala became an uncle before his death.
Ayala graduated from Orange Cove High School and was a decorated participant in the school's career technical education pathways. At one point, he pursued a pathway toward becoming a firefighter, a goal his family said he never had the opportunity to achieve.
Police continue to investigate the shooting.
The Ayala family has organized a GoFundMe to help during this difficult time.
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