Police in Stockton, California, are on the hunt for a possible serial killer and have announced that they believe five killings between July and September are connected.
Police have ruled out robbery or gang violence in the killings, according to ABC, which reported that police have physical evidence connecting the five crime scenes together.
“By definition, you could probably very well call these a series of killings, but at this time, we don’t know if it’s a person or two or three. We just don’t know,” Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said Friday, according to KCRA-TV. “We believe there is some interconnectivity.”
“We feel that it is interconnected somehow. But to what extent, we just don’t know at this time.”
Five deaths of men walking alone on roads in Stockton at night or in the pre-dawn hours in the last several months appear to be linked, and Stockton police now say they are on the hunt for a serial killer. https://t.co/7AwDNZCK90
— SFist (@SFist) October 3, 2022
“There are no witnesses due to the location and the timing and the lack of lighting,” McFadden continued. “This is from our detectives not going home, staying committed to the cause and reviewing several hundred hours of video to try and get anything to go on.”
The killings began on July 8, with other incidents occurring on Aug. 11, Aug. 30, Sept. 21 and Sept. 27, McFadden said in a post on the Stockton police Facebook page.
“I know there are many sources out there that are talking about this investigation. With that, misinformation has been spread. As this investigation moves forward, I will provide timely and verified information to you keeping in mind public safety and the needs of the investigation,” he posted.
Do you think that these murders are the work of a serial killer?
“Our investigators have reviewed many hours of video surveillance. They believe they located a ‘person of interest’ in this investigation,” he wrote, posting a grainy photo of an individual.
The post said that the City of Stockton is offering a $75,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. Stockton Crime Stoppers also has a $10,000 reward posted.
The ages of the victims range from 21 to 54; four of the men were Hispanic, and one was white, McFadden said, according to the post.
“These incidents are occurring in the hours of darkness. These incidents are occurring where folks are alone by themselves, not in lit areas,” McFadden said, according to KCRA-TV.
With that in mind, in his Facebook post, he urged Stockton residents to practice vigilance and safety.
“Finally, we would like to remind everyone to remain vigilant and have good situational awareness. Please avoid isolated areas and travel in well-lit areas. Remember, there is safety in numbers so if you can, travel with a friend,” he wrote.
Analydia Lopez, the widow of victim Salvador Debudey, Jr., called for action to solve the killings, according to KCRA-TV.
“I know somebody saw something and, if you did, please say something.”
“We just want to know what happened. It’s been a tremendous tragedy for our family, and we just want answers,” Lopez said.
She said his murder “caused a lot of pain, a lot of pain to our family.”
“To be honest with you, a part of me died with him that day,” Lopez said. “It’s been hard. It’s been really, really hard.”
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