FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A vehicle of interest potentially connected to the homicide of a Parlier field worker in 2021 has been identified by officials with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

According to deputies, on Sunday, June 13, 2021, at around 4:45 a.m. Parlier Police responded to a shooting reported in front of a home located at the 13000 block of 9th Street in Parlier. When they arrived at the scene say they found two men with gunshot wounds. Both were transported to a local hospital and one of them later died, he was identified as 52-year-old Silvano Mendoza of Parlier. Officials say the other victim survived.

Victim Silvano Mendoza, image courtesy of Fresno County Sheriff’s Office

His daughter Almire Mendoza says she will never forget when doctors said her dad didn’t make it.

“The nurse was like hang out here, do you have a picture of your dad? And I did because we had just celebrated our birthdays together in February. It was the first time my dad had given me flowers and I had that picture and I showed her so she came back with doctors and confirmed that it was him,” says Almire.

Fresno County Sheriff’s Office investigators say Mendoza was a field worker on his way to his job with other co-workers when he was shot. Officials say it appears he was a victim of mistaken identity.

The Mendoza family describes the heartbreak they’ve suffered over the past two years.  

“He was the life of the party he was outgoing he was our chef he was our everything,” says Yolanda Mendoza, sister to Silvano.

While no one has been arrested for the murder, detectives believe newly released pictures of the suspect vehicle could help them catch the killer.

“The vehicle is a gray 2009 Nissan Altima two-door California license plate #6JWW666. If you know where this vehicle is or whos driving it please contact the Fresno county sheriff’s office,” says Jose Diaz, a detective with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.

The Mendoza family says they have had to band together to get through this difficult time.

“If anybody has any kind of information speak up, help us, we wanna make sure whoever did this could get put behind bars,” says Yolanda.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Detective Jose Diaz at (559) 600-8204.