Nearly nine months after a man was found stabbed to death in a Turlock apartment complex, the Turlock Police Department has made an arrest in the case.
On Thursday Detective James McWilliams arrested Jose Delreal, 31, on suspicion of murder. Delreal is accused of stabbing to death Ignacio “Nacho” Alvarez, 41, of Turlock on the night of Nov. 5, 2008.
Alvarez was found with a single stab wound to the chest at an apartment complex at 1012 W. Canal Dr. Alvarez’s sister, Irma Alvarez, said her brother tried to get help from the residents before he collapsed in the common lawn area. He was rushed to Emanuel Medical Center by emergency responders and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The murder weapon was recovered at the crime scene, said Turlock Police Investigations Sgt. Russell Holeman.
Alvarez and Delreal were acquaintances with one another and the motive behind the stabbing may have been a personal disagreement between the two men, Holeman said.
Delreal was arrested Thursday at the Stanislaus County Jail where he was serving time for an unrelated assault with a deadly weapon conviction, said Turlock Police Sgt. Nino Amirfar.
Holeman said it was witness statements and the diligent work of McWilliams that led to the arrest of Delreal.
“This case is closed because of the excellent police work on the part of Detective McWilliams,” Holeman said. “He never let this case go and just kept going back to it whenever he could.”
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact McWilliams at 668-5550 ext. 6668 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.