Court records say video, phone data and car evidence connected suspects to the case.
PARKLAND, Wash. — A red sedan seen near Sheridan Avenue South became the key piece of evidence in the killing of 17-year-old Braylon Daniel Diaz, leading detectives from neighborhood video to arrests and murder charges.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office says Diaz was shot May 24 after people in the car demanded jewelry while he was walking with his girlfriend. Within days, investigators had asked the public for surveillance video, found the suspected vehicle in Federal Way and identified people they believed were inside. Prosecutors now say Alyssa Marie Vaught-Barr drove the car, Brandon Torres-Mesa fired the fatal shot and more people may have been involved.
The car first appeared in the case as an unknown red four-door vehicle that investigators said fled after the robbery. Deputies had responded at 7:13 p.m. to the 10200 block of Sheridan Avenue South, where callers reported a teen with a gunshot wound lying in the roadway. Diaz died at the scene despite CPR. Detectives canvassed the area, gathered video from homes and businesses and released footage showing the vehicle they believed was connected to the shooting. The request was narrow and urgent: they needed images of the car before and after the attack. By May 27, investigators said the car had been located abandoned in Federal Way, several miles from the Parkland scene.
Court documents later described the vehicle as a red Toyota Corolla. Investigators said it had passed Diaz and his girlfriend, Katelyn Zuniga, while the two walked north along Sheridan Avenue South. The car turned into a mechanic shop lot near 102nd Street South, turned around and came back, according to charging papers. The rear passenger called Diaz over, then told the driver to back up after Diaz refused to approach. Prosecutors say the rear passenger demanded Diaz’s necklace. Diaz told Zuniga to stay back, gave up the chain and was shot in the abdomen. The car then headed south as Zuniga called 911.
The vehicle’s recovery shifted the case from a search for an unknown car to a search for specific people. Detectives said they found documents inside the Corolla bearing the names of Vaught-Barr and her boyfriend, Alejandro Lorenzo Diaz, who is not related to the victim. Investigators also found evidence they believed linked the car to the suspects through ownership, recent use and surveillance footage. A relative of Alejandro Lorenzo Diaz told detectives she recognized Vaught-Barr’s vehicle from released video, according to court filings. The same relative said Vaught-Barr was the driver during the shooting, and that Alejandro Lorenzo Diaz had told her he was not involved but confirmed Vaught-Barr drove.
Detectives also relied on cellphone location data. Charging documents say phone records placed Vaught-Barr and others near the area of the shooting when Diaz was killed, then showed movement toward Federal Way, where the suspect vehicle was later found. Prosecutors said investigators compared images from video footage with licensing, law enforcement and open-source photographs of Vaught-Barr and Torres-Mesa. They concluded Vaught-Barr matched the driver and Torres-Mesa matched the rear passenger accused of firing. Surveillance footage also showed activity around the suspected vehicle after the killing, including what investigators described as efforts to wipe it down. Those alleged cleanup efforts became part of the case prosecutors presented in court.
The evidence expanded again after Vaught-Barr and Alejandro Lorenzo Diaz were arrested June 1. Authorities said the pair had been traveling together in Snohomish County before separate law enforcement contacts. Alejandro Lorenzo Diaz was arrested during a traffic stop on an unrelated felony warrant. Vaught-Barr left that scene, according to deputies, and was later detained by Tulalip police at a Walmart. When investigators searched a vehicle connected to the arrests, they said they found clothing similar to clothing seen in surveillance footage, a 9mm handgun and written material that prosecutors described as significant. One note included phrases about saving money, finding a lawyer and putting an apartment in another person’s name.
Vaught-Barr’s own call to police also became part of the record. Court documents say she contacted investigators on May 27 and admitted she had been driving the car when Diaz was shot. She identified Torres-Mesa as the shooter and said she did not know what he intended to do. She told detectives she tried to get out of the car to help Diaz, but Torres-Mesa pulled her back in, struck her in the head with the firearm and forced her to drive to Federal Way. Prosecutors said that account was incomplete and not truthful. Deputy prosecuting attorney Lisa Wagner told the court the information Vaught-Barr gave appeared designed to protect others and delay the investigation.
Vaught-Barr was charged with first-degree murder and pleaded not guilty. A court commissioner set bail at $1 million and ordered that, if released, she have no contact with Torres-Mesa. Her attorney said Vaught-Barr was unable to make bail and understood the seriousness of the allegations. Alejandro Lorenzo Diaz was charged as a fugitive from justice in connection with an Oregon warrant alleging criminal mischief, burglary and aggravated theft. Prosecutors said the homicide investigation as to him remained open while they awaited more evidence. A judge set his bail at $250,000 and said he would eventually face proceedings tied to the Oregon case.
Torres-Mesa has become the central figure in the open manhunt. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office identified him as the suspected shooter and said he was believed to be armed. Prosecutors charged him with aggravated first-degree murder, first-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. The sheriff’s office described him as 21 years old and said investigators believed he fired after Diaz handed over the chain. Detectives have not publicly said whether they believe the recovered 9mm handgun was used in the shooting. They also have not said how many other people they believe were in the car, though court records and sheriff’s statements point to more possible participants.
Diaz’s girlfriend and family have said his final actions were protective. Zuniga told local reporters that he shielded her in his last seconds and always cared for people around him. Chelsea Diaz, his stepmother, said he would not have gone near the car to confront anyone and would only have moved closer to protect Zuniga. Family members identified him as a Washington High School junior who played football and soccer. A memorial grew near the area after the killing, and friends gathered at a vigil to remember him as kind and well liked. The community response unfolded while detectives continued to follow the evidence trail left by the car.
The case remains active even with charges filed. Vaught-Barr is jailed on the murder case, Alejandro Lorenzo Diaz is jailed on the fugitive matter and Torres-Mesa remains sought on murder and firearm charges. Detectives continue reviewing evidence tied to the red sedan, the recovered items and possible additional suspects.
Author note: Last updated July 6, 2026.