UPDATE: Suspect arrested after double shooting, also suspected of 2017 cold case
UPDATE: 7/17/2019 9:30 p.m. Salinas Police say they have arrested and identified a suspect behind Saturday’s double shooting on the 800 block of Elkington Ave. just before midnight. Two men, 28 and 19 years-old were shot. Police say they are expected to survive.
Police say 28 -year-old Andrew Alvarado, a Salinas Norteno gang member, is a suspect in the recent shooting and a suspect in a cold-case murder that happened in 2017. Alvarado was arrested Tuesday evening at the 1300 block of Las Cruces Court.
Police say on September 10 of 2017, they were called out to 255 E. Bolivar St. after two men were shot. Forty-nine year-old Martin Rocha was pronounced dead at the scene. The second victim, a 29-year-old survived with permanent injuries.
Police say the two were working on a vehicle in a driveway when they were approached by two men and shot by two suspects. Police say the two suspects ran to a car waiting for them and left, Andrew Alvarado has been identified as one of the shooters.
Salinas Police say they’re still investigating the 2017 murder and last weekend’s attempted murder.
Anyone with information, is asked to call police.
UPDATE: 7/14/19 3:14 p.m.
We are learning more about a double shooting that took place last night in Salinas.
The Salinas Police Department confirmed that two men sustained non life-threatening injuries. They were 19 and 28 years old.
Salinas police responded to the 800 block of Elkington Avenue just before midnight.
Witnesses said they heard rapid gunfire and saw two victims hit in front of an apartment complex.
One man sustained injuries to his head while the other sustained injuries to his neck and foot. Both were transported to Natividad Medical Center.
The suspect is described as a male in his twenties.
Police cannot confirm the make of gun that fired the shots at this time, but ShotSpotter technology, which monitors things like gun shots, suggests that the shots were fired off as part of a rapid fire issued from a fully automatic weapon.
Salinas police believe the shooting was gang related.
We went back to the neighborhood today.
Neighbors, who wished to remain anonymous, say this is the first shooting to happen on their street in three years.
The identities of the individuals involved have not been released.
