Crime
43-year-old Yolanda Baxcajay-Flores shot and killed while coming home from the grocery store in Bradenton
Authorities are still investigating a potential motive for this initial incident.
A tragic shooting claimed the life of 43-year-old Yolanda Baxcajay-Flores in Bradenton on Tuesday night, shortly after she returned home from grocery shopping.
The incident marked the second shooting in the area that night.
The first reported shooting occurred around 6 p.m. on November 12, with officers from the Bradenton Police Department responding to reports of gunfire along 8th Avenue East.
In that instance, over ten rounds were fired, damaging several homes and vehicles.
Authorities are still investigating a potential motive for this initial incident.
The second shooting, which ultimately took Yolanda Baxcajay-Flores’s life, happened around 7:30 p.m. on 15th Avenue East, just a few blocks away from the first.
Investigators believe that over 30 shots were fired during the incident. Baxcajay-Flores, returning home from the grocery store, was struck by multiple bullets while still seated in her car.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene quickly, and officers provided aid until EMS personnel arrived.
Baxcajay-Flores was transported to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries overnight. Police confirmed that she was not the intended target of the shooting.
Detectives continued their investigation through the night, working to identify potential suspects and any vehicles involved in the shootings.
As of Wednesday morning, no further details were available.
Bradenton Police are urging anyone with information about the incident to contact Detective Brian Sands at brian.sands@bradentonpd.com or 941-932-9312, or Detective Jeff Beckley at jeff.beckley@bradentonpd.com or 941-932-9356.
Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Crime Stoppers at manateecrimestoppers.com, with tipsters potentially eligible for a reward of up to $3,000 for information leading to an arrest.
MOBILE, AL – A man charged in connection with a fatal shooting outside an Alabama bar is claiming self-defense, as new details emerged during a preliminary hearing on Tuesday.
On February 1, officers from the Mobile Police Department responded to a reported shooting at the Alabama Bar & Lounge.
Upon arrival, authorities discovered that Hunter Lins and another man had been shot following an altercation outside the establishment.
Lins was transported to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The second victim, whose identity has not been disclosed, survived.
Matthew Sanders was subsequently arrested and charged with murder and first-degree assault in connection with the incident.
During Tuesday’s preliminary hearing, Sanders’ attorney, Jeff Deen, argued that his client acted in self-defense after being attacked. Deen claimed that surveillance footage supports this assertion, showing Sanders being “jumped on” before the shooting.
However, Lins’ stepsister, Kelsie Harvell, refuted that claim, asserting that the shooting was not an act of self-defense and could have been entirely avoided.
A homicide detective testified that multiple witnesses reported an argument between Sanders and Lins inside the bar near the pool table.
- A bartender allegedly instructed only Sanders to leave the bar.
- Lins followed him outside, reportedly to apologize.
- Once outside, a physical altercation ensued between Sanders and Lins, with Lins’ brother, known as “Rusty,” also getting involved.
- According to Rusty, he attempted to break up the fight, but Sanders retrieved a firearm from his vehicle and opened fire.
Deen countered this narrative, claiming that Sanders was attacked by the two brothers and was defending himself.
“He got jumped on at a bar. He left when he was told to, but then a crowd followed him outside and continued the fight,” Deen said. “I’m sorry someone got shot, but he brought it on himself.”
During testimony, the detective noted that Lins had a beer bottle during the altercation but discarded it before being shot, leaving him unarmed and defenseless.
Harvell questioned Sanders’ justification for self-defense, stating, “If he was able to open his car door to grab a gun and shoot two people, why wasn’t he able to get in the car and leave?”
Additionally, the District Attorney’s Office revealed that after the shooting, Sanders allegedly posted a video on Snapchat waving a gun and saying, “I told y’all to leave me alone… and to quit playing with me.”
Investigators later confirmed that the firearm seen in the video was the same weapon recovered at the crime scene.
During the hearing, Sanders’ defense requested a bond reduction, which was denied by the judge. He remains incarcerated at Metro Jail with a $250,000 bond.
The case is now moving to a grand jury for further review.