Police Investigating a Suspected Serial Killer Targeting Latino Men in Stockton, California
Police in Stockton, California may have identified a serial killer targeting Latino men as they’ve narrowed their search to one person of interest. Thus far, the killer has murdered five people, including four Latino men, reports a Facebook post from the Stockton Police Department.
“Our investigators have reviewed many hours of video surveillance. They believe they located a ‘person of interest’ in this investigation,” said Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden in the post. “These homicides occurred in the evening or early morning hours and our victims were alone.”
Local authorities have urged people to walk in groups and be vigilant while outside at night and in the early morning hours. All five men were shot dead, although none of them were robbed and police do not believe the killings were related to any drug or gang activity.
According to People, two of the five victims’ families have publicly identified the victims even though local authorities have not yet released the names of the deceased.
Speaking with KXTV, Jerry Lopez, brother of September 27 victim Lorenzo Lopez, said, “He was just a person who was out here at the wrong place at the wrong time at the wrong circumstance,” adding, “It’s hard to process that this has happened. I mean me and my brother have been like twins. We were a year apart so we were pretty close.”
The other victim publicly identified by his mother Greta Bogrow was 35-year-old Paul Alexander Yaw, who was killed on July 8. “He was a son, brother, father, grandson, nephew, and cousin. I still can’t believe he’s not coming back. I hope this helps to catch the person(s) responsible,” the family said in a statement.
Although the Stockton Police Department has begun to admit that there may, in fact, be a serial killer on the loose, the department was hesitant to label the killings as the work of one individual until police began noticing a pattern in the seemingly random slayings, reports Newsweek.
“We do see some similarity where it’s really areas of darkness, it’s really areas where the person is by themselves, maybe not even knowing it’s coming, and that’s kind of what [we’re] looking into in some of the most recent ones,” said McFadden in late September.
However, by October 3, the department has shifted its focus to just one person of interest who may be involved in all five shootings.
Per the People report, the department is offering a reward of $85,000 total, $75,000 from the department itself, and another $10,000 from Crime Stoppers, to anyone with information leading to the arrest of the person of interest being targeted in the investigation.
The killer’s victims have been identified as:
July 8: 35-year-old white man (Paul Alexander Yaw)
August 11: 43-year-old Latino man
August 30: 21-year-old Latino man
September 21: 52-year-old Latino man
September 27: 54-year-old Latino man (Lorenzo Lopez)
Anyone with identifying information is encouraged to call a tip line established for the case at 209-937-8167. Tips can also be sent to policetips@stocktonca.gov.
