Monday night, the same evening Jesse Alvarez was arrested and charged in the murder of Cathedral Catholic High teacher Mario Fierro, NBC 7 discovered a handwritten note on the passenger seat of the victim’s car.
Fierro was gunned down in front of his home in North Park on Monday around 7 a.m., police said.
Alvarez is the ex-boyfriend of the victim’s fiancée. The two were engaged last month.
At the top of the handwritten note was the word "incident." Farther down the page were the written phrases “escorted off” and "no verbal contact." Also, on the note was the make, model and license number of a vehicle.
Court documents obtained by NBC7 indicate Fierro's fiancée was afraid of Alvarez. In January 2020 she was granted a temporary protection order against him. In the restraining order request, she reported to police, Alvarez cyberstalked her social media accounts and tried to break into her home after she changed the locks and installed security cameras.
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Alvarez disputed the claims, and the judge ultimately did not extend the restraining order past Jan. 22, 2020, saying there wasn't enough evidence indicating that Alvarez violated any rules.
More than a year later, as the note might suggest, Alvarez could still have been in contact.
Two times, NBC 7 spoke with San Diego police about the significance of the note. Both times, we were told the case is under investigation.
Police tracked Alvarez to a home in Serra Mesa that, according to property records, belongs to a relative. Neighbors took video and still pictures of the arrest. One photo outside the house shows armed officers staging in the street, ready for resistance, but Alvarez surrendered without a fight.
Parked in the driveway was a gray Prius. Department of Motor Vehicle records indicate that the car is registered to the suspect. The car described on that scribbled note was a grey Prius and had all the right license plate information, but two letters had been transposed.
Alvarez is charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bond in Central Jail.
He is scheduled for arraignment Feb. 19.
