Police in Northern California believe a serial killer to be behind the killing of five men in Stockton and the killing of another man in Oakland based on ballistics tests.
In crimes going back more than a year, police said as many as five men in Stockton have been killed in recent months according to the same method, with all being “ambushed and shot to death alone in the dark.”
“Late Monday, police said two additional cases last year — a man’s death in Oakland and the non-fatal shooting of a woman in Stockton — had been tied to those killings,” reported KTVU. “Police would not say whether all seven shootings had been linked to the same gun.”
“Police said four of the Stockton homicide victims were walking alone and a fifth was in a parked car when they were killed in the evening or early morning in the city of 320,000 residents, located about 50 miles south of the state capital, Sacramento,” it added.
In all five of the Stockton killings, none of the men were robbed or beaten before being shot and none of the victims were personally linked. The one alleged survivor, a 46-year-old woman, was shot in April 2021 at 3:20 a.m near a tent encampment.
SPD News: Homicide Series Update
SPD News: Homicide Series UpdateToday, Chief Stanley McFadden released a video of the “Person of the Interest” from our homicide series. Detectives also conducted further follow up with our surviving victim from the April 16, 2021, shooting that occurred at Park Street and Union Street. She described the suspect as an unknown race male, 5’10” to 6’00”, thin build, wearing a dark colored hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, and dark colored pants. The person was also wearing an all-black COVID style mask.The Stockton Police Department is encouraging anyone with information to call our tip line at (209) 937-8167. You can also email your information to policetips@stocktonca.gov.You can submit anonymous tips to Stockton Crime Stoppers by:TYPE – Submit a Tip online using the Stockton Crime Stoppers website at StocktonCrimeStoppers.org.TALK – Call Stockton Crime Stoppers at (209) 946-0600.DOWNLOAD the P3 Tips Mobile App and submit tips anonymously.The reward has now increased to $100,000.00 as a local business owner, who wanted to remain anonymous, donated $5,000.00 to the reward amount. #StocktonCrimeStoppers
Posted by Stockton Police Department on Tuesday, October 4, 2022
In Oakland, 39-year-old Juan Miguel Vasquez Serrano was killed around 4:15 a.m. in April 2021 just five days after the woman in Stockton had been shot.
“It definitely meets the definition of a serial killer,” said Stockton Police Officer Joseph Silva. “What makes this different is the shooter is just looking for an opportunity, and unfortunately our victims were alone in a dark area.”
Police have released a grainy still image of a “person of interest” while the city of Stockton, in conjunction with a local construction company owner, has offered up a $115,000 award for any information that could lead to an arrest.
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