Police arrest two in fatal shooting of an LA-area coach, volunteer
Two people have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a beloved Los Angeles-area coach and community volunteer who was the subject of a USA TODAY special report.
Jose Quezada Jr., 46, was shot and killed July 27, 2023, after cooking for hundreds of people at a public event at a city park in Wilmington, a district of south Los Angeles. His death remained unsolved for months as he was remembered for his legacy with generations of the city’s young people.
Quezada, who was known as “Coach,” coached basketball and baseball for nearly 30 years. He believed that sports helped keep kids on the right path and away from gangs. Beyond coaching, Quezada spent his free time fundraising for people in need.
Gang violence had been persistent for decades in Wilmington. In the USA TODAY report and a video documentary in 2023, Los Angeles police specifically noted Quezada’s impact on community safety.
That legacy made his death all the more shocking. Quezada was struck in the head by a single gunshot, late on a Friday evening while preparing to leave the event at Wilhall Park in Wilmington. He had been volunteering for Summer Night Lights, one of many events around Los Angeles aimed at keeping kids off the streets through entertainment, food and sports. No evidence had surfaced that suggested Quezada was an intended target. For months, police had said only that they were seeking more leads in the case.
The Los Angeles Police Department on Thursday identified the two suspects as Sergio Esteban, 28, and Estevan Hernandez, 27, both residents of San Pedro, a neighboring district of Los Angeles. Both face murder charges and are being held in lieu of multimillion-dollar bonds. Police said that Esteban had been arrested and held since December but that Hernandez had been a fugitive in Mexico. He was arrested Jan. 31 after being found by law enforcement there, with assistance from an FBI task force, and was turned over to U.S. and L.A. officials.
Police on Thursday reiterated that Quezada had no apparent link to the suspects, but they offered few other details or a motive for the crime.