|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A gun shop in Livermore has been hit by crime for the third time in two years, according to city police – who confirmed that the oldest case, which left a Redwood City man dead, still remains an open investigation.
In the latest incident, a vehicle rammed through the glass storefront at East Bay Firearms at around 4:30 a.m. Oct. 25, and the occupants burglarized the First Street shop before fleeing the scene, according to Livermore Police Department spokesperson Azenith Smith.
Smith said store ownership reported “several firearms had been stolen”, and the department’s criminal investigations bureau was actively working the case. Co-owner Damon Butts told KTVU in a recent interview that three masked burglars took 32 guns total, worth an estimated $40,000.
The break-in happened almost two years to the day after 28-year-old Freddy Mendoza was shot dead at East Bay Firearms during an alleged robbery attempt.
Witnesses reported at the time that Mendoza entered the store while wearing a mask, gloves and hoodie and was acting suspiciously before he tried to steal a gun while armed with a hammer at around 2:30 p.m. Oct. 22, 2023, police said. A store owner – whose identity has not been confirmed – fired two rounds and fatally wounded Mendoza in what police initially described as an apparent act of justifiable self-defense.
The investigation into the circumstances of Mendoza’s death “is still under review and is not closed”, Smith told Livermore Vine this week. It remains unclear why the 2023 case is still pending.
Another incident occurred at East Bay Firearms on Dec. 2, 2024. Smith said a 23-year-old San Ramon man entered the store pretending to be a shopper, grabbed a gun and ran out the door.
“Livermore Police, with help from San Ramon Police, identified the suspect and took him into custody several hours later,” Smith said.
Butts told KTVU the 2024 suspect served only a 120-day work release for the crime.
Downtown Livermore restaurant up for sale months after reopening from fire damageMarch 27, 2026 5:26 pm
