STOCKTON — Police laid out evidence Tuesday apparently linking an East Oakland fatal shooting last year and a series of likely linked fatal shootings in their city, sharing surveillance-camera video of a person of interest as a reward for information exceeded $100,000.
The shootings have happened at night or in the early morning and are possibly the work of a serial killer, police said.
At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Stockton police Chief Stanley McFadden shared a narrative assembled by investigators, drawing on crime-scene evidence and collaboration with multiple law-enforcement agencies, while Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln encouraged community members to work toward easing gun-violence trends that have claimed more than 43 lives citywide this year.
The shootings began April 10, 2021 with Oakland police responding just before 4:20 a.m. to a report of a fatal shooting near 57th and Harmon avenues in the city’s Seminary neighborhood.
A victim, initially described by police as being known in the area and having gotten into an argument shortly before the shooting, was identified Tuesday by an Alameda County Sheriff’s Office spokesman as Juan Miguel Vasquez Serrano, 39, of Oakland.
Six days later, on April 16, Stockton police responded to a shooting report around 3:20 a.m. and learned that a woman camping outside at Park and Union streets in Stockton had been shot by an assailant, but survived.
“She was in her tent when she heard someone walking around her campsite,” McFadden said Tuesday. “When she came out of the tent, she encountered someone holding a gun out. There’s multiple shots at her.”
The woman, who managed to defend herself in part by advancing toward the gunfire, described the shooter as about 5-foot-10 to 6 feet tall, wearing dark-colored hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, and dark pants under a dark jacket with a dark COVID-style mask hiding his face.
More than a year later, starting this July, Stockton police began responding to shootings that led to five deaths over a two-month period. Killed were:
- A 35-year-old man just after 12:30 a.m. July 8 in the 5600 block of Kermit Lane
- A 43-year-old man just before 9:50 p.m. August 11 in the 4900 block of West Lane
- A 21-year-old man just after 6:40 a.m. August 30 in the 800 block of East Hammer Lane
- A 52-year-old man shortly before 4:30 a.m. September 21 in the 4400 block of Manchester Avenue
- A 54-year-old man just before 1:55 a.m. September 27 in the 900 block of Porter Avenue.
All but one of the victims were men and a majority were Latino, with an average age of 42, and some who were homeless, McFadden said. In response to reporters’ questions, McFadden said there was no known motive or evidence for a hate or bias crime targeting a particular race or perceived ethnicity. The chief added that ballistic evidence recovered from scenes and entered into a database helped link the crimes.
When asked about the space between the shootings in April 2021 and in recent months, McFadden was honest: “I have absolutely no answer as to why that pistol went dormant for over 400 days. Absolutely no reason. You know, it could have been more than one person that handled […] we just don’t know. That’s an awful long time.”
After Stockton City Manager Harry Black initially authorized a $75,000 reward for information in the killings, private business owners stepped up to boost the reward amount to just over $100,000 as of Tuesday, authorities said.
“I want to thank our community partners, because this is a public-private nonprofit partnership that’s taking place right now in order to bring justice to those families who deserve it right now who’ve lost those loved ones,” Stockton Mayor Lincoln said.
“That’s the least that we could do for these families and help bring some sort of justice and closure. A big part of that is getting this individual or these individuals off the street.”
Anyone with information may call Stockton police’s tip line at 209-937-8167, e-mail policetips@stocktonca.gov or submit anonymous information to Stockton Crime Stoppers by visiting StocktonCrimeStoppers.org or calling 209-946-0600.
Contact George Kelly at 408-859-5180.
