There Is An Alleged Serial Killer On The Loose In California — What To Know About Who He Is Targeting
Keep an eye on your surroundings.
YouTube / Stockton Police Department Police in California have identified a possible serial killer in Stockton.
In a statement shared on Monday, October 3, the Stockton Police Department linked two more shootings to the five other killings that are believed to be interconnected — this brings the possible total to six victims and one survivor.
“By definition, you could probably very well call this serial killings,” Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said Friday.
“We have a series of homicides that we believe are interconnected. The problem we have is we have no evidence to tell us that it’s one person, two, or three."
Who is the Stockton serial killer suspect?
No suspect or person of interest has been identified in the series of killings in Stockton.
However, detectives released a grainy image of a "person of interest," taken from a security camera after the latest killing shortly before 2 am on Tuesday, September 27.
Who is the Stockton serial killer targeting?
The killer appears to be targeting mainly Hispanic men, between the ages of 20 to 50 years old — although one of the victims was white.
McFadden said all of the killings have happened after dark in dimly lit areas with few security cameras.
There has only been a single victim in each attack.
“It wasn’t a robbery,” he said. “Items aren’t being stolen. They’re not talking about any gang activity in the area or anything. It’s just an element of surprise.”
A $95,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to an arrest.
The names of the victims of the Stockton serial killings were released on Monday.
July 8, 2022: Paul Alexander Yaw, 35, of Stockton.
August 11, 2022: Salvador Debudey, Jr., 43, of Stockton.
August 30, 2022: Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, of Stockton.
September 21, 2022: Juan Cruz, 52, of Stockton.
September 27, 2022: Lawrence Lopez Sr., 54, of Stockton.
Two victims of the additional shootings have not been publicly named but they include a believed survivor of the suspected killer — a 46-year-old Black woman who survived injuries sustained in an April 16, 2021 shooting — and a 40-year-old Hispanic man who was shot dead on April 10, 2021.
Officials have also set up a tip line for anyone with information.
If you or somebody you know has information, please call 209-937-8167 or email at to policetips@stocktonca.gov.
Victoria Soliz is a writer with YourTango who covers news and entertainment content. Her work explores pop culture trends, film and TV, and celebrity news