Alfredo Junior Alaniz sentenced to fifty years to life for the 2021 murder of Mario Merino Gonzalez

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Alfredo Junior Alaniz, 25, of Santa Maria has been sentenced to fifty years to life for the May 19, 2021, murder of 19-year-old Mario Merino Gonzalez.

Alaniz was convicted by a Santa Barbara County jury on December 11, 2025, on a charge of first-degree murder as well as the special allegation that he committed the murder on behalf of a criminal street gang and that he personally discharged a firearm causing the death.

On Wednesday of this week, Superior Court Judge Kristy Imel sentenced Alaniz to two consecutive, 25-year sentences for the murder and firearm enhancement explained the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office in a press release Thursday.

In the early hours of May 16, 2021, Alaniz -a documented member of a Santa Maria gang- shot Mario Gonzalez 16 times, 15 times in the back, on North Lincoln Street stated the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.

In June of 2021, Santa Maria Police turned to the public for help in their investigation before Alaniz was eventually located and arrested in Las Vegas the following month.

"This case involved the senseless and brutal killing of a young man, and the loss his family suffered was profound," said District Attorney Savrnoch following the sentencing. "I am grateful to the jury for their service, and to the prosecution team led by Deputy District Attorney Nicholas Harmon for their commitment to seeing justice done. I also want to thank the Santa Maria Police Department for their tireless work in investigating this case, especially Santa Maria Police Detectives Ryan Preast and Joshua Yee."