Man killed in Mecca remembered, suspect remains on the loose

The man killed in Mecca this past weekend is being remembered tonight as the gunman remains on the run.

A memorial has been placed where Hugo Nunez was shot and killed, outside a home along the 91000 block of 5th street just after midnight Sunday.

“He was a good friend. Everyone liked him in the neighborhood. He was a really good man, I have nothing bad to say about him. It was a wasted life for him just to die like that when none of it was his problem. They just came up to him and shot him right there,” said Guadalupe Villegas, a friend of Nunez.

Police identified Indio resident Gilbert Martinez, 29, as the suspect in the shooting.

If you have any information on the shooting or Martinez’s whereabouts, you’re asked to call the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department’s Thermal Station at (760) 863-8990.

You can also call Valley Crimestoppers at (760) 341-STOP. Tips can remain anonymous and you may be eligible for a cash reward.