Wilmington, Delaware – A fatal shooting occurred at El Mocajete Mexican Restaurant early Sunday morning, resulting in the death of 35-year-old Lupe Bedolla-Castillo. The suspect, 43-year-old Francisco Valencia-Avila, confessed to shooting Bedolla-Castillo three times after feeling “disrespected” by him in the past.
According to court documents, an altercation took place between Bedolla-Castillo’s friends and a friend of Valencia-Avila while they were at the restaurant. This incident led Valencia-Avila to leave the restaurant with two others to retrieve a gun before returning to the restaurant’s middle table, where surveillance video captured his actions.
Valencia-Avila harbored feelings of anger towards Bedolla-Castillo due to past offenses, prompting him to confront the victim and ultimately lead him outside of the restaurant where the deadly shooting took place. Bedolla-Castillo succumbed to his injuries despite efforts by first responders at the scene and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Approximately 12 hours after the incident, Valencia-Avila voluntarily turned himself in at the New Castle County Police headquarters and admitted to the killing. He disclosed to authorities the events leading up to the shooting, including his threat to Bedolla-Castillo before pulling the trigger. The weapon used in the shooting was recovered by the police and matched the one seen in surveillance footage.
Valencia-Avila is currently in custody at the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution, being held on a $500,000 cash bail while the investigation continues. The motive behind the shooting and the circumstances that led to the tragic event are still under investigation by law enforcement.
Anyone with relevant information about the incident is encouraged to reach out to authorities. For more updates on this developing story, stay tuned for further updates as the investigation unfolds.