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Turlock resident charged with homicide
melo daniel
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} The Merced County Sheriff’s Department charged Daniel Melo, 35, of Turlock with homicide in the death of Agaton Gumanday III, 26, on Thursday. - photo by Photo Contributed

A Turlock man has been arrested for a fatal shooting that happened Wednesday night in a Snelling orchard.

The Merced County Sheriff’s Department charged Daniel Melo, 35, of Turlock with homicide in the death of Agaton Gumanday III, 26, on Thursday.

The sheriff’s department responded to a report of shots fired in the 6000 block of Turlock Road in Snelling around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. When deputies arrived they found Gumanday in the orchard with a single gunshot wound to the head, said sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie. Gumanday was pronounced dead at the scene.

MacKenzie said Melo, who was the reporting party, was at the scene when deputies arrived and was questioned by detectives.

Because of the remoteness of the area and the lack of available light, the crime scene was closed off until Thursday morning when investigators could gather and process evidence, MacKenzie said.

After the death was ruled a homicide, investigators took Melo into custody and booked him into the Merced County Jail. He is being held on a $1 million bail. Few details regarding the shooting have been released. A motive for the shooting is not known and the sheriff’s department has not said how the men knew one another. A family member of Gumanday’s told KFSN-TV in Fresno that the two men were close friends.

MacKenzie said a small caliber handgun was used in the shooting.

Gumanday had lived in various areas of Merced County over the last year, MacKenzie said.

The fatal shooting, which makes for the 10th homicide this year in Merced County, is still under investigation.

To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.