The man suspected of murdering a beloved Southern California grandfather after breaking into his Fontana business earlier this month has been arrested, officials confirmed to KTLA on Tuesday.
The murder took place on the morning of Jan. 10 after 79-year-old Fritz Mendoza and his son opened up their shop for the day – an Allstate insurance business that Fritz operated in Fontana for over 30 years.
After walking inside, Fritz had just sat at his desk when his son went to the back of the shop and noticed ceiling panels had dropped to the floor.
He then suddenly realized a man was sitting in a chair, asking him not to hurt him. Fontana Police later identified the suspect as Ronalee Barrett Stanberry, 37.
“He came through the roof, fell through,” Fritz’s granddaughter said of the intruder. “I think he was there overnight. The front door was locked.”
The suspect asked Fritz’s son to make a phone call, but within seconds, he lunged for a nearby baseball bat displayed on a wall and began swinging at Fritz’s head, eventually striking him.
Surveillance video captured Fritz’s son fighting the man off as he wrestles the bat out of his hands. Stanberry eventually runs off.
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Surveillance footage of the victim’s son grabbing the suspect’s baseball bat while fighting him off on Jan. 10, 2025. (Fontana Police Department) -
Surveillance footage of the suspect fleeing the scene after a deadly assault in Fontana on Jan. 10, 2025. (Fontana Police Department) -
Surveillance footage of the suspect fleeing the scene after a deadly assault in Fontana on Jan. 10, 2025. (Fontana Police Department) -
The suspect, Ronalee Barrett Stanberry, 37, is seen in booking photos from the Fontana Police Department. -
Distinct tattoos on Ronalee Barrett Stanberry’s arm is seen in a booking photo from the Fontana Police Department. -
The suspect, Ronalee Barrett Stanberry, 37, is seen in a booking photo from the Fontana Police Department.
Fontana Police said officers responded around 8:50 a.m. to the business at the 9700 block of Sierra Avenue and upon arrival, found that Fritz had been beaten with the bat.
Fritz was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but he died from his injuries 11 days later.
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Fritz Mendoza, 79, is pictured with his wife in a family photo. -
Fritz Mendoza is seen with his granddaughter in a family photo. -
Fritz Mendoza is pictured with his wife in a family photo. -
Outside the Allstate insurance office Fritz Mendoza operated with his son in Fontana. (KTLA) -
Fritz Mendoza’s desk at the Allstate insurance office he operated in Fontana. (KTLA) -
Ceiling panels were destroyed after the suspect climbed through the roof and into the victim’s office in Fontana. (KTLA) -
Fritz Mendoza is seen in a family photo. -
Fritz Mendoza is pictured with his wife in a family photo. -
The Allstate insurance office Fritz Mendoza operated with his son in Fontana. (KTLA)
Prior to his arrest, police issued a release asking for help finding Stanberry, describing the suspect as a transient who often traveled by train and had ties to Chino, Los Angeles and Kern County. His most recent arrest occurred in Bakersfield.
Officials said officers with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department found Stanberry in Hollywood around 2 a.m. on Tuesday, and Fontana Police arrested and booked him at the West Valley Detention Center.
“With the public’s assistance and the support of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Fontana Police Department has successfully apprehended Ronalee Barrett Stanberry in Hollywood,” the department said in a release. “We are grateful for the numerous tips that came in and for the tireless efforts of investigators that led to the arrest of Stanberry.”
Vivian Chow contributed to this report.
