Stockton Police are investigating five “interconnected” homicides that are possibly the work of a serial killer. Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said detectives haven’t determined if the serial killings were carried out by one suspect or multiple suspects, but they are believed to be connected. The fatal shootings happened between July 8, 2022, and September 27, 2022, in the California city, according to police. He said the shootings do not appear to be gang-related or robberies.
Police have said all the victims have been men and all were alone at the time they were shot. They range in age from 21 to 54. Police told the news network the shootings happened in the dark, either in the early morning hours or at night. Stockton Police released a photo of a “person of interest” in the series of homicides, offering an $85,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest. The photo shows a person walking down the street from behind. The person’s face cannot be seen. The person is dressed in dark clothing and appears to be wearing a hat.
McFadden said at a press conference on September 30, “I know there’s been talk in the media and on social media that there’s a serial killer in the city of Stockton.” McFadden said they don’t have enough evidence to say there is a serial killer at this time. He said they are looking at other unsolved homicides and cold cases to see if there is any connection to the recent string of killings. McFadden said they’ve expanded their enforcement efforts. McFadden held the press conference as rumors about a Stockton serial killer spread on Reddit and TikTok.
Photo of a “Person of Interest” in a series of homicides being committed in Stockton. There is an $85,000 reward for info that leads to an arrest. Please call SPD or @StocktonCrime with info or scan the QR code to send any pertinent videos related to this investigation.
“We are having some of these crimes committed in the late hours of the night or the extreme early morning hours before people are up and out and about,” McFadden said. “It’s very dark places where these things are happening. And people are by themselves. … We want everyone’s head to be on a swivel. We want everyone to alert us when they see suspicious activity. … At the end of the day we want people to be safe. We want us not to be a victim. We don’t want anyone else to be a victim.”
McFadden added, “We are still looking at them from a random point of view, but we do see some similarities. … It’s really areas of darkness, where the person is by themselves, maybe not even knowing it’s coming. That’s what we’ve keyed into in some of the most recent ones. Could it be one person? I guess it could be. Could it be multiple people? Absolutely. Do we have evidence that tells us it’s one or multiple people? No, we do not.”
The police chief said, “One similarity we have seen in some of these recent ones is it didn’t appear that these people were robbed. It didn’t appear like car keys were taken from them or their wallet.” McFadden said within the last month investigators began looking into whether there were similarities between recent fatal shootings in the city. “Are we seeing something consistent? That’s where the work is being done. And based on that, we expand our enforcement efforts,” the chief told reporters.
These are the five victims of the Stockton serial killings who have been identified by the San Joaquin County medical examiner’s office:
Paul Yaw, 35
Family PhotoPaul Yaw.
Paul Yaw, 35, was killed on July 8, 2022, the medical examiner’s office said. According to Stockton Police, the shooting happened about 12:30 a.m. in the 5600 block of Kermit Lane. His mother, Greta Bogrow, told KCRA her son was unhoused. Bogrow, who lives in Texas, told the news station, “This is my son Paul, he was a great man with a big heart. He was my son, a father, a grandson, nephew, cousin and brother and was loved by many. He has left a huge hole in our hearts and I hope they catch the person(s) responsible before this happens again.”
Salvador Debudey Jr., 43
GoFundMeSalvador Debudey.
Salvador Debudey Jr., 43, was killed on August 11, 2022, according to the medical examiner’s office. Debudey was shot and killed about 9:49 p.m. in the 4900 block of West Lane, Stockton Police said. His family said on a GoFundMe page he, “was a loving son, brother, husband and father whose life was taken away from him too early at the age of 43. Sal Jr was an aspiring musician and artist who loved the simple things in life such as comedies, good food, and family.”
Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21
Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, was killed on August 30, 2022, the San Joaquin County Office of the Medical Examiner said. Rodriguez was shot about 6:41 a.m. in the 800 block of East Hammer Lane, Stockton Police said.
Juan Cruz, 52
Juan Cruz, 52, was killed on September 21, 2022, according to the medical examiner’s office. Cruz was shot about 4:27 a.m. in the 4400 block of Manchester Avenue, Stockton Police said.
Lawrence Lopez Sr., 54
Family PhotoLorenzo Lopez.
Lawrence Lopez Sr., 54, was killed on September 27, 2022, the medical examiner’s office said. According to ABC News, Lopez went by Lorenzo Lopez. He was shot about 1:53 a.m. in the
His brother, Jerry Lopez, told KCRA, “My mother and father were just heartbroken from this. That’s their first baby boy. And I know they have so many memories of him. He was there for me. He was watching out for me. I wish I could’ve watched out for him