A report of a shooting near a motel in southeast Turlock turned into a homicide investigation for the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department.
The sheriff’s department was dispatched to the 1500 block of Golf Road around 1:45 a.m. Tuesday for a report of a shooting. Deputies and emergency personnel arrived at the location and found a Hispanic male adult on the side of the roadway with a gunshot wound. The man was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The name and hometown of the victim have not been released pending next of kin notification.
Detectives spent the early morning hours processing the scene and interviewing witnesses, but this time there is no suspect information.
Nearly 12 hours after the shooting was reported, a large fire erupted at a seemingly vacant home near the homicide scene. It’s unknown at this time if the fire and the homicide are related, but investigators are looking into any possible connection, said sheriff spokesman Sgt. Anthony Bejaran.
The fatal shooting makes for the fourth homicide in the Turlock area for the year. The three other cases all remain open.
On Jan. 29, the burned remains of Juan Carlos Ledesma-Infante, 39, of Stockton were found in a vehicle in the 5300 block of Griffin Road, between Taylor and Keyes roads. That case was assigned to the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department.
On Feb. 9, the Turlock Police Department began an investigation into the fatal shooting of Javier Manuel Zuniga, 46, of Turlock, who was shot to death at the Venice Motel at 1114 N. Golden State Blvd.
On June 15, Joga Shergill, 54, of Turlock was shot to death and found in a dirt lot in the area of W. Glenwood and Lander avenues. The case is being investigated by the Turlock Police Department.
Anyone with any information on this investigation is asked to call Detective Cory Brown at 209-567-4485. People can also leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636. Tipsters can also e-mail tips at http://www.modestopolice.com/CrimeStoppers, or text them to CRIMES (274637) by typing "Tip704" plus the message and be eligible for a cash reward.
