Transient who fatally stabbed an O.C. security guard found not guilty by reason of insanity

Andrew Isaiah Godinez, a 28-year-old transient, was convicted this week of the unprovoked fatal stabbing of Joseph Paul Gomez, a 46-year-old security guard from Tustin, at an Anaheim strip mall.

Godinez won’t however serve any jail time as he was found not guilty by reason of insanity by Orange County Superior Court Judge Gary Paer. Per kept Godinez’s mental-health diagnosis confidential.

Paer will decide which mental-health hospital Godinez will be sent to on Oct. 30, the day before Halloween. Godinez will be held indefinitely.

Police were called to a Dollar Tree store at 1811 West Lincoln Avenue at about 10:15 on Sept. 10, 2021 according to the Anaheim police.

Gomez was working as a security guard when Godinez fatally stabbed him for no apparent reason.

Godinez was arrested while he was trying to leave the scene.

Gomez was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Paer was appointed by former Governor Gray Davis, a Democrat, back in 2000. He graduated from the FBI Academy and later worked as a reserve officer for the LAPD. He was an OCDA prosecutor from 1985-1977.

The California Department of Justice publishes annual homicide reports, but they do not specifically break down homicide data by housing status, such as whether a suspect was transient or homeless. However, here’s what we can confirm from the broader data:

• Total Homicides:
  • 2024: 1,666 homicides statewide
  • 2023: 1,892 homicides
  • 2022: 2,206 homicides
  • These numbers reflect a downward trend in homicides over the past three years.
• Suspect Relationship to Victim:
  • In 2024, 26.6% of victims were killed by a stranger, which may include transient individuals, but this is not explicitly stated.
• Location of Homicides:
  • 39.3% occurred on streets or sidewalks, which are more likely to involve individuals without stable housing, but again, this is not directly linked to transient status