A quiet Mesa neighborhood woke to flashing lights and an unthinkable tragedy early Saturday morning when a 32-year-old mother of seven was found shot to death outside a neighbor’s home.
Maria Ernestina Lewis was discovered with a gunshot wound shortly after 2:30 a.m. on Feb. 28, according to the Mesa Police Department. Officers had responded to a welfare check at a residence near Ray Road in southeast Mesa when they made the grim discovery.
Lewis was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office, her death has officially been ruled a homicide. But days later, investigators say they still do not know who pulled the trigger or what led to the fatal shooting.
The case has left family members grieving and a neighborhood shaken.
Authorities say Lewis’ body was found on the doorstep of a nearby home. Local outlets including Fox 10 Phoenix, Arizona’s Family and KPNX reported that parts of the porch — including paver steps and a doorbell camera — were missing by Monday, raising new questions about what may have happened in the moments before or after the shooting.
Police have not said whether those items were removed as evidence or if their disappearance is connected to the crime.
Investigators have also declined to release details about what may have led to the gunfire, describing the case as an active and ongoing investigation.
Lewis’ husband, Albert Mendivil, said he was unaware anything was wrong until he saw the flashing emergency lights near their home.
“I see red and blue lights on the back of the apartments and I came running out and look over,” Mendivil told KPNX. “And that’s when police pulled me back.”
It was only then that officers confirmed the devastating news: his wife had died.
Mendivil described Lewis as a kind and loving woman who had been part of his life since they were young.
“She was an amazing woman,” he said. “She was bright, had a beautiful smile. We had a good life together.”
According to Mendivil, Lewis had simply gone out for a walk shortly before police arrived — a routine moment that somehow ended in tragedy.
The couple leaves behind seven young children, ranging in age from just two years old to 12.
Family members have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover funeral costs and legal expenses as they struggle to cope with the loss.
Neighbors say Lewis was a familiar and caring presence in the area, often seen tending to her children.
Luz Correa, who lives nearby, said the news left her stunned.
“I always saw her taking care of her kids,” Correa told Arizona’s Family. “I’m sick, and my stomach is like this… I cannot believe it.”
Another neighbor, David Barney, echoed the grief spreading through the community.
“Heart goes out to that family,” he said.
For now, police say they are continuing to gather evidence and piece together what happened in the early morning hours that left a young mother dead.
Authorities have not identified any suspects or announced arrests. Detectives say additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Until then, the killing of Maria Ernestina Lewis remains an unsolved mystery — and seven children are left growing up without the mother who neighbors say devoted her life to them.
