First Salinas homicide of 2015 has more questions than answers
A Salinas mother wants justice after the city’s first homicide of the year claims her son’s life. She reached out to News Channel 5 hoping that someone will come forward with information on the shooting.
“Whatever you guys have out there please tell me, any little lead can help,” said Melissa Garner.
Not much is known about the death of her 25-year-old son Paul Morales Jr. Salinas police confirmed he died from a gunshot wound outside his apartment Wednesday night in North Salinas. Police detectives said they don’t believe this shooting is gang-related or a random act.
Detectives added while witnesses have come forward and said they heard the shots, none of them claim to have seen anything. Therefore, police have no information leading to a suspect.
Despite the visible pain on Garner’s face, she said she has forgiveness in her heart.
“Whoever shot my son, I pray for them and I pray that they will never go through what I go through,” she said through her tears.
We spoke with the manager at Northridge Park Apartments, where the shooting happened, the news took her by surprise.
“It was shocking, I’ve worked here 20 years and nothing like this has ever happened,” said Wendy Duran, the manager.
Morales Jr.’s wife and 1-year old daughter survived him. We asked his mother if she thought this shooting was motivated by gangs or if her son was involved in that lifestyle.
“I don’t want to be ignorant or closed-minded to it, I don’t know he kept it from me if it was,” Garner said.
She told us she wants her heartache to mean something with one last thing to say to her son.
“We’re going to do this baby, we’re going to come together. Your mother is going to help other mothers going through this,” she said.
Salinas’ first homicide this year also hit home for an activist in Salinas who lost her son 12 years ago because Morales Jr. was her nephew.
Recently Debbie Aguilar’s group A Time For Grieving and Healing became a non-profit, to provide support for families who have lost loved ones to violence.
Despite the deadly shooting, she’s hoping the community can take back 2015.
“We start a new year strong, together because united we stand or divided we’ll fall,” Aguilar said.
