Update as of July 9, 2009
The man shot inside Turlock’s Brentwood Apartments Tuesday night has been identified as Rafael Ruiz.
According to the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office, Ruiz was 29 years old and had a Huntington Park address listed on his driver’s license.
It is still unknown if Ruiz was living at the apartment or if he was visiting.
Update as of July 8, 2009
Turlock Police investigators have identified the victim in a fatal shooting Tuesday night at Brentwood Apartments, but are not releasing his name because the next of kin has not been notified, Investigations Sgt. Russell Holeman said.
Holeman said the victim is a 28-year-old Latino man.
In a letter distributed to the residents at the apartment complex, Lacey Salas, the property manager, writes that the victim “was not a resident of our community,” however, Holeman said it has not been determined yet if the victim was a resident or not.
Salas also stated in the letter that the victim was believed to have been targeted by the shooter and that it was not a random act of violence.
When police arrived at the scene they found the ground floor apartment unlocked and the victim was the only person in the apartment, Holeman said.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
The apartment is close to a pool and several kids who were swimming that night said they heard two shots fired.
To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.
=====
Turlock police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man at the Brentwood Apartment complex Tuesday night.
The victim, a Hispanic man in his 20s or 30s, was pronounced dead inside the ground floor apartment at 1301 N. Denair, according to Turlock Police Lt. Steven Williams.
As of 10 p.m., investigators were still trying to determine the man’s name and if he was a resident at the complex.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene after emergency personnel tried to revive him.
The incident was initially reported at 6:51 p.m. as a suspicious incident. The 911 caller said several subjects were seen running from an apartment and that one gun shot may have been fired, Williams said.
It is unknown how many times the victim was shot or where on his body he was wounded.
Investigators were canvassing the complex for witnesses and have developed a few leads, Williams said.
The shooting and the massive police response caught residents off guard and many spent the twilight hours watching investigators secure the scene and go to work.
“I can’t believe someone just got shot,” said Eve Oberlander, a resident at the complex. Oberlander echoed the opinion of many of the apartment complex residents, who described the sprawling complex as a quiet and serene neighborhood.
The deceased was found inside an apartment that is located near a swimming pool. Maria Diaz said her family, which includes small children, were swimming in the pool when they heard the shot and went scrambling for cover.
“This is a quiet place,” she said. “I can’t believe something like this happened here.”
This is the fourth homicide to occur in Turlock this year.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact Detective Sergio Perez at 668-5550 ext. 6744 or Crime Stoppers at 521-4636. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.
