Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Fatal 2022 Shooting Outside Bradenton Bar

A Manatee County judge has sentenced 36-year-old Mario Alba-Reyes to 40 years in prison for the 2022 killing of Domingo Mendez outside La Barkania Bar and Restaurant.

The sentence follows an April jury verdict that found Alba-Reyes guilty of second-degree murder. The shooting occurred on the night of October 29, 2022, after an altercation between Alba-Reyes and Mendez in the parking lot of the bar.

According to investigators, Mendez, 41, and his girlfriend were confronted by Alba-Reyes and another man as they attempted to enter the venue. After a brief verbal dispute, the couple began walking away. Alba-Reyes then retrieved a firearm from his vehicle, followed them, and fatally shot Mendez in the head at close range before fleeing the scene.

Mendez was transported to the hospital but died from his injuries two days later.

Video footage later confirmed that Alba-Reyes' vehicle left the scene and struck a stop sign. The damaged SUV was recovered by Bradenton Police Department detectives, who worked with the Traffic Homicide Unit to verify the vehicle damage matched evidence from the scene. Alba-Reyes was taken into custody on November 4, 2022.

With the conclusion of sentencing this week, the case brings to a close a nearly two-year legal process following a tragic act of violence.