Police said Adrian Valdovinos had no known prior conflict with the man who killed him.
HANFORD, Calif. — Adrian Valdovinos, a 25-year-old Hanford boxer, was killed May 3 when his girlfriend’s ex-husband broke into her home and shot him, police said.
Valdovinos’ death turned a domestic violence investigation into a public loss for Hanford’s boxing community. Police identified the gunman as Vincent Diaz, 33, the ex-husband of the woman who lived at the University Avenue home. Investigators said Diaz killed Valdovinos, then shot himself as officers arrived. Police said the two men had no known history of conflict before the shooting, making the woman’s past relationship with Diaz the central link in the case.
Valdovinos was known locally as a boxer and was described by boxing outlets as a former super lightweight prospect. His listed professional record was 8-2-1. Friends and boxing followers remembered him online after the shooting, with tributes focused on his age, his promise and his connection to the local fight scene. The public grief grew as police released more details about the attack, including that Diaz had forced his way inside the home and carried a firearm despite being barred from gun possession because of a felony record.
The shooting happened before sunrise in the 1500 block of University Avenue. Hanford police received a 911 call at about 4:12 a.m. A man and woman could be heard arguing in the background, police said. The first officer arrived and heard the disturbance from inside the home. Hanford Police Lt. Justin Vallin said officers went to the front door and announced themselves. “Immediately they saw the suspect walk from one side to another side,” Vallin said. Police said Diaz then shot himself.
Officers entered the home after the self-inflicted gunshot. They removed the woman safely and searched the house. Valdovinos was found dead in a bedroom with gunshot wounds. Police have not released where the woman was when officers entered or whether she witnessed the fatal shooting. They have not released the full 911 recording, the number of shots fired or the exact location where Diaz died inside the home. The department said the case remains an active homicide investigation, even though the suspected killer is dead.
The police account includes several details that suggest Diaz prepared before the attack. Investigators said he arranged for someone to watch his child before going to the home. They said he parked his vehicle roughly 100 yards away, then approached with a high-capacity firearm. Diaz and his former wife had been separated since August 2025, and court records showed she requested a restraining order in March involving their child. Authorities have not said whether that request had resulted in an active order by the time of the shooting.
The gun is one of the key remaining questions. Police said Diaz was a convicted felon and should not have had a firearm. Detectives are reviewing how he obtained it and whether anyone else may have helped him get access to it. The department has not announced the gun’s make, whether it was recovered loaded or whether it had been reported stolen. Investigators also have not said if they found written plans, messages or other records that would further explain Diaz’s actions before he reached the home.
Neighbors described the shooting as a rupture in a place they associated with family noise and music. Craig Avila told a local television station he used to hear singing and good times coming from the home before the separation. “For this to happen is just sad to see,” Avila said. Kelly Avila said the absence of those voices would change the feel of the neighborhood. Their memories added context to a block that became a crime scene within minutes of the emergency call.
For investigators, the case now has several tracks. One is the homicide timeline, from forced entry to the discovery of Valdovinos in the bedroom. Another is the domestic history between Diaz and his former wife, including the separation and restraining order request. A third is the firearm review. Because Diaz died, there will be no trial where evidence is tested in open court against him. Still, police can complete the record, send findings to prosecutors if another person is implicated and provide the coroner with information needed for death findings.
The case has been reported as Hanford’s third homicide of the year. Police have not linked it to any other local killing. The department’s public statements have been narrow, naming the dead men, describing the forced entry and confirming the woman survived. Vallin said the events unfolded in less than 10 minutes, a speed that shaped both the emergency response and the investigation afterward. Officers arrived while the scene was still active, but after Valdovinos had already been shot.
As of Tuesday, May 26, Valdovinos is being remembered as a young boxer whose life ended inside a home tied to a domestic dispute. Police have not announced a final report, and the firearm investigation remains the main unresolved issue.
Author note: Last updated Tuesday, May 26, 2026.