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Death of off-duty Turlock security guard nets 15 years to life for shooter
Alejandro Rosales Ortuno
Alejandro Rosales Ortuno, 23, of Los Banos was arrested for the shooting of Turlock resident Robert Morgan, 31, outside the downtown bar Cru in January.

A Los Banos man has been convicted in the death of a Turlock man who was gunned down when he tried to break up a fight outside a downtown bar, the Turlock Police Department reported.

Alejandro Rosales-Ortuno, 23, of Los Banos accepted a plea deal that found him guilty in the shooting of Robert Royal Morgan, 31. Rosales Ortuno was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. He will have to serve 80 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Morgan was a security guard at Cru, but was there off-duty spending time with friends. Earlier in the evening, security at the bar had escorted out several Hispanic men involved in an altercation. A fight broke out behind the Main Street establishment and Morgan tried to intervene.

Rosales-Ortuno got out of a dark colored sedan and fired multiple gunshots at Morgan. He then got back into the vehicle and fled the area.

When Turlock Police officers arrived at the scene, they found Morgan with six gunshot wounds. The officers immediately undertook life-saving measures until emergency medical personnel arrived and rushed Morgan to a hospital. Morgan died at 2:16 a.m. Jan. 15, from his injuries, according to the police department.

A little less than two months after Morgan’s death, Turlock Police detectives had developed information that Rosales-Ortuno was the shooter. On March 1, the Turlock Police Department’s Special Investigation Unit went to Los Banos and watched a residence linked to Rosales-Ortuno. They saw him drive away from the home and with the help of the Los Banos Police Department a traffic enforcement stop was made.  Ortuno was taken into custody without incident in the 1200 block of West I Street, and was transported from Los Banos to the Turlock Police Department for an interview. 

In connection to the homicide investigation, search warrants were served by the Merced County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team at two Los Banos residences, located in the 200 block of Wisteria Avenue and the 2300 block of Rock Creek Drive. Once both residences were secured by the SWAT team, Turlock Police Detectives and SIU Investigators searched both residences for evidence tied to the investigation.

Morgan had obtained his Associate of Applied Science degree in criminal justice from the Institute of Technology. He is survived by his parents, Teresa and Rick Morgan, and by his two eldest brothers Richard and Thomas Morgan.