September 3, 2026 – Merced County Sheriff’s Office officials report that on August 29th at 11:12 p.m., Deputies responded to a private event at the Los Banos fairgrounds for a report of a shooting. Deputies located Kody Pena, a security guard, deceased at the scene. Detectives identified the suspect as 21-year-old Gabriel Angel Salas of Sacramento.

Investigators worked closely with the West Sacramento Police Department and Yolo Regional SWAT Team during this investigation. Early Wednesday morning, Salas turned himself in, to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, and was booked into the Sacramento County Jail for murder. We are currently working to extradite Salas to Merced County.

We want to thank the public for their help providing useful information to our Detectives as well as the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, West Sacramento Police Department and the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance in this case.

Related: Merced County Sheriff IDs Suspect Wanted for Murder at Los Banos Fairgrounds

Security Guard Killed in Shooting at Los Banos Fairgrounds During Private Event

Source: Merced County Sheriff’s Office