Tragic Walmart Encounter: Man Deceives Stepfather with Vehicle Part Request Before Fatal Shooting

In a chilling case, a man has confessed to luring his stepfather to a Walmart under the pretense of searching for a vehicle part, only to fatally shoot him in the chest and head.

Manuel Mesa-Cabrera, aged 26, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for the killing of his 42-year-old stepfather, Anhil Mirabal Hernandez. This development was reported by ABC affiliate KETV, based in Omaha. Mesa-Cabrera is scheduled to be sentenced in April.

The incident occurred on May 27, 2025, when Mesa-Cabrera and Hernandez visited the Walmart at 818 East 23rd Street in Columbus. Authorities stated that Mesa-Cabrera had convinced his stepfather to accompany him to the store to assist in finding a vehicle part.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Lincoln-based CBS affiliate KOLN, Mesa-Cabrera had been diagnosed with schizophrenia but was neither on medication nor receiving medical care for his condition. Investigators suggest that in the days leading up to the tragic event, Mesa-Cabrera had decided to kill his stepfather.

While parked at the retail giant, Mesa-Cabrera allegedly produced a 9 mm Smith and Wesson handgun, shooting Hernandez in both the chest and head, before fleeing the scene.

Officers with the Columbus Police Department responded to the store’s parking lot at about 6:20 p.m.

“Upon arrival, officers located a male victim lying on the ground with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest,” Captain Doug Molczyk said. “Officers immediately rendered aid until Columbus Fire Department medics arrived on scene.”

Hernandez was brought to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Mesa-Cabrera turned himself in “[s]hortly after” the shooting, police said. The defendant said he did so because “he knew he was going to be arrested,” according to the affidavit.

Mesa-Cabrera was originally charged with first-degree murder and the use of a firearm to commit a felony. He reportedly had purchased the Smith and Wesson by legal means two weeks before the shooting.