Police said the 26-year-old was trying to stop a fight between two women when a man opened fire.

WILMINGTON, Calif. — A 26-year-old father celebrating his birthday at a Wilmington pizza restaurant was fatally shot May 9 after he tried to break up a fight between two women, Los Angeles police and relatives said.

The shooting turned a family gathering at Red West Pizza into a homicide investigation and left another man hospitalized. The case drew attention because it began inside a familiar neighborhood restaurant, involved a birthday party with relatives and friends, and unfolded while police were still sorting out who fired the shots and why. The shooting was reported at 5:51 p.m. Saturday at Red West Pizza, 614 W. Pacific Coast Highway, near Bay View Avenue. Police said the celebration was underway when two women began fighting. The birthday celebrant stepped in to separate them, and a male suspect pulled out a gun and fired several times. The 26-year-old was hit, along with another man described in reports as a restaurant employee in his 20s. Maria Rondan, identified in local coverage as the victim’s girlfriend, said, “They robbed us of someone. They took somebody’s father, son and I just don’t understand why.”

The victim has been identified in local reports and by loved ones as Andres Castellas or Andres Castellano. Later reporting citing the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office identified him as Jorbin Castellanos Aguilera, 26. Authorities have not publicly explained the different names in available reports. Police said he was pronounced dead after the shooting, while the second man was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Early reports said the gunman fled on foot after the shots were fired. Police described him as a man in his early to mid-20s. Investigators did not immediately release a motive or say whether the shooter knew either victim or either woman in the fight.

Family members and friends said the man killed had gathered at the restaurant to mark his 26th birthday. Loved ones described him as a father of a 5-year-old daughter and said he had moved from Colombia about three years earlier to build a better life for her. They said he was not part of the fight but moved toward it to calm the situation. Rondan said he was “a very happy guy” who could walk into a room and make people feel special. Michelle Costa, who knew him, said he did not deserve what happened and described the violence as sudden.

The first hours after the shooting brought conflicting public accounts of the investigation’s status. Police initially said the shooter ran from the restaurant, and local reports said no suspect had been publicly identified. NBC Los Angeles reported that police later detained a possible suspect for questioning the night of the shooting but could not confirm an arrest at that time. CBS Los Angeles later reported that a man had been taken into custody in connection with the shooting. Available reports did not identify that person, list charges or say whether prosecutors had filed a murder case. The Los Angeles Police Department’s investigation remained focused on the fight, the gunfire and the path of the suspect after he left the restaurant.

The shooting also shook residents who knew Red West Pizza as a family spot. A woman who said she lived near the restaurant told NBC Los Angeles that children are often there and that it was frightening to see violence enter a place where families gather. Outside the business, friends and relatives later placed candles and balloons for a vigil. Costa said she tried to help after the shooting. “I tried my best,” she said, describing how fast the scene changed. Mourners prayed outside the restaurant and spoke about the man they said brought energy, humor and warmth to gatherings.

The case remains defined by a short chain of events: a birthday party, a fight between two women, a man trying to intervene and gunfire inside a neighborhood restaurant. Police have not publicly released a full account of the suspect’s relationship to the people involved. They also have not publicly detailed what sparked the fight or whether the second man who was shot had any role beyond being present during the violence.

Authorities have not released a full charging update in available public reports. The next milestone is any formal identification of a suspect, filing decision or additional police statement clarifying the arrest status and the victim’s official name.

Author note: Last updated June 3, 2026.