Gustavo Morales sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr.
SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV)-UPDATE ON NOV. 21, 2023 AT 2:44 PM- Gustavo Morales who was convicted of the murder of Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr. has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Tuesday afternoon.
Monterey County Superior Court Judge Rafael Vazquez sentenced Morales in a Salinas courtroom.
"My best wishes to Gustavo. You know, he made his bed, and now he has to lay in it," said Veronica Alvarado, fiancé of JD Alvarado.
Veronica Alvarado was planning to marry him two weeks before he was killed.
"It was very tough to finally let loose of how I felt sitting there in court every time just turned the whole thing. It was extremely tough. But it was also very healing," she said.
Although still devastated by her loss, she is glad Morales, the man who killed her fiancé will be spending the rest of his life in jail without the possibility of parole.
Many who spoke out today in court were friends, family, and coworkers of Alvarado. They described Morales as a coward and a monster.
Jorge Alvarado Gonzalez who is the father of Officer Alvarado said that his son's life was taken prematurely by the quote, devil's hit man.
One man who spoke in Morales's defense was kicked out of court shortly after.
Morales shot and killed Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr. back on Feb. 25, 2022 during a traffic stop on East Market Street.
This story will continue to be updated.
Man guilty of the murder of Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr.
Update Oct. 24, 2023, at 12:00 p.m.- A jury has found defendant Gustavo Matias Morales guilty of the murder of a Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr.
The general feeling is that justice was served for many at the Monterey County Courthouse. Both the father of Officer Alvarado and Salinas Police Chief Roberto Filice believe that justice has been served today. Despite the pain that doesn't go away.
Morales shot and killed Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr. back on Feb. 25, 2022, during a traffic stop. Striking the late officer 13 times, four shots hit Officer Alvarado in the head. Officer Alvarado was able to fire two shots, one hit Morales in the web of his left hand, during his final moments.
Morales was driving while intoxicated and without a license, and was violating several probation conditions and the California Vehicle Code. Morales has a fully loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun with a high-capacity magazine carrying 17 rounds in the passenger seat of his vehicle, said the Monterey County District Attorney's Office.
He was not allowed to own a firearm due to a prior domestic violence conviction for hitting the mother of his two children.
“We have to be very attentive to this eventuality,” said Jorge Alvarado Gonzalez, the father of Officer Alvarado. “To these individuals who swarm the streets, we have to keep our eyes open. Because we cannot continue to allow our society to be in such horrendous cases.”
He was found guilty of first-degree murder, shooting at an occupied vehicle, assault on a peace officer with a semi-automatic firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm and carrying a loaded firearm. Police Chief Roberto Filice commended the jury’s decision.
“They did exactly what they were supposed to do,” said Chief Roberto. “They had the courage to hold him accountable for his acts.”
Inside the courtroom, Salinas Police officers, Alvarado's family, and city leaders waited for the verdict. The last three weeks of this trial have been long and emotional.
“Relieved that we were able to get justice for Alvarado, his family, SPD, just everyone,” said Christopher Puck, the Deputy District Attorney.
Puck added during his statements that based on California law the initial aggressor, which Morales testified he was, is not allowed to claim self-defense. The law also does not allow criminal suspects to attack or kill peace officers who are lawfully doing their jobs.
“Obviously Mr. Morales is disappointed but Mr. Kelligan and I are really appreciative of the court system,” said Michael Belter, the public defender on Morales’ case. “Especially the jurors spending their time giving their utmost time on the matters.”
While justice has now been served, the pain the family feels isn't going away.
“That individual truly made the pain we felt and the justice that followed all this is so evident that today we do feel that there is justice,” said Gonzalez.
The jury deliberated for four and a half hours before reaching their verdict. Monterey County Superior Court Judge Rafael Vazquez remanded Morales to Monterey County Jail where he is being held without bail.
Gustavo Morales faces life in prison without the possibility of parole at his sentencing hearing. He will be sentenced on Nov. 21.
Jury deliberating verdict for alleged Salinas cop killer
Jurors have been dismissed for the day as they will continue deliberating the fate of an alleged Salinas cop killer on Tuesday morning.
The defense and prosecutors in the People Vs. Gustavo Morales spent a portion of Monday morning delivering closing statements.
The prosecution went first. Deputy District Attorney Christopher Puck stressed if the shooting was justifiable, an average person would need to use a justifiable amount of force if he was in imminent danger.
Gustavo Morales is the man accused of shooting and killing Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr. back on Feb. 25, 2022, after a traffic stop. Striking the late officer 13 times, four shots hit Officer Alvarado in the head.
Throughout the closing arguments, the prosecution also repeatedly went over Morales' testimony. Pointing out how Morales admitted on the stand that he had 'intent' to kill Officer Alvarado when he was pulled over.
“If he knew what he did was wrong, then he wasn’t acting in self defense,” said Deputy District Attorney Puck.
There's an effort by the prosecution to charge morales with more than just murder. Morales is also accused of shooting at an occupied vehicle, use of a semi automatic firearm on a peace officer, unlawful possession of firearm, and conceal carry of firearm.
When it came time for the defense to give their statements, Public Defenders for Morales said “Who we are, what we perceive, how we respond to everything is shaped by our experiences.”
The defense urged the jury to think of Morales’ state of mind and perception in the situation. The defense also pointed out how Morales also had both good and bad experiences with police.
Morales' lawyer said Morales believed he would ultimately have a deadly encounter with police. Because of his experiences with law enforcement they argue morale is not guilty of first or second degree murder. Going on to say "It’s clear that morales acted in self defense, based on his experience with life and based on his experiences with police.”
The defense asked for voluntary manslaughter charges, claiming their client developed a hyper vigilance after multiple negative experiences with Salinas Police over the years. One incident they brought up was a case in 2018 where Salinas Police hit Gustavo in the head over 30 times while the defendant was resisting arrest.
The defense claimed that when Gustavo was pulled over by Officer Alvarado he was acting in self-defense and was afraid he would get killed by the officer. Morales claimed "it was either him or me" when he testified in court.
The prosecution got to begin and end the day with their closing statements and rebuttal to the defense's closing statements. They argued that the aggressor does not get to claim self-defense and that "liquid courage is not a defense."
You can't go burglarize a home and claim self-defense when you kill the property owner the prosecution used as an example. "He's not allowed to create his own emergency."
In a rebuttal, prosecutors told the jury, “When [Morales] murdered Alvarado, he tried to escape justice. He tried to flee. Thankfully, in his last few seconds Officer Alvarado thwarted him. I now ask the people of California to finish the job. Do not let him escape justice.”
The prosecution has to prove, without a reasonable doubt that Gustavo is guilty of first degree murder, shooting at an occupied vehicle, use of a semi-automatic firearm on an officer, unlawful possession of a firearm and carrying a concealed firearm.
Gustavo admitted to being drunk and when shooting the officer and that he did so after calling his barter and sister. He also admitted during his testimony on planning to ambush Alvarado before stopping his vehicle.
The jury is now deliberating on a verdict for all five charges.
Salinas city leaders hope this trial brings justice and closure for the officer's family and to the community.
“The community needs to heal,” said Mayor Kimbley Craig. “I think that obviously the conclusion of this trial will help in that healing. We're hoping that the jury takes all of the evidence into consideration and determines a verdict that is fit with the crime.”
If convicted, Gustavo faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Deliberations are expected to continue at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday.
Prosecution and defense rests in trial of alleged Salinas cop killer
UPDATE ON OCT. 19, 2023 AT 11:11 AM- The prosecution and defense have rested in the trial for Gustavo Morales, the man accused of shooting and killing Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr.
The only testimony on Thursday morning came from a Deputy with the Marion County Sheriff's Office in Oregon. Then the prosecution rested and the defense did not take up the opportunity for a rebuttal argument.
Jurors will be given an informational packet on what is relevant to the case. Then closing arguments will be held before the jury deliberates and submits a verdict.
The trial is set to resume on Monday morning at 8:30 a.m. where closing statements could be read.
This story will continue to be updated.
Mother of alleged Salinas cop killer children says suspect abused her several times during relationship
UPDATE ON OCT. 18, 2023 AT 12:21 PM- The defense rested for Gustavo Morales, the man accused of shooting and killing Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr. They tried to paint their client as a normal person who had several bad run-ins with violence and police while in Salinas.
Morales was no stranger to being caught up in gunfire, as prior to his admitted in-court testimony shooting of Officer Alvarado, there were two prior incidents where Morales was the victim of a shooting.
One shooting was in front of a property on Archer Street where shots were fired at the front of the residence.
On Oct. 10, 2020, Morales was driving with a friend and stopped behind a white Lexus on Pacific Street.
Morales' friend, Valentin Porris told the court that someone covering their face wearing all white exited the passenger side of the Lexus and started firing at Morales and him. The shots hit the front of the vehicle, but neither person was injured.
Salinas Police detective Daniel Garcia told the court the Oct. 10 incident was related to three other shootings where a gang was targeting random people in rival gang territory.
Morales even agreed to testify for one of these shootings and was granted witness relocation to Oregon for his cooperation. He spent 4 months in Oregon and was given a little over $6,000 for all expenses.
Morales' manager where he worked at the time of his arrest testified and said that Morales was a good, hardworking employee, who she never saw get angry. The manager at D&G Sanitation in Watsonville said that Morales was usually very calm and never had problems with any co-workers.
That's when the defense rested and the prosecution began calling in witnesses for rebuttal evidence.
The first witness called by the prosecution on Wednesday, Oct. 18 was Gustavo Morales' cousin Juanita Perez. She said on several occasions Gustavo would threaten her after drinking, and it was so severe she was granted a restraining order.
She lived on the property next to where Morales' parents were living on Hebbron. Now 26, Juanita said she moved back to the property after leaving at the age of 13 to live with her grandparents, so she did not grow up with Gustavo or his family.
On one occasion Juanita claims Gustavo tried to back into her with a vehicle while she was unloading groceries with her boyfriend. She said he did it multiple times while she was unloading groceries and managed to back into a black gate and dented it.
On another occasion, when she came home late from work Gustavo allegedly started knocking on her car and car window several times and threatened to kill her.
"He said he was going to **** me up and he was going to kill me," said Perez. She said he was stronger and she was scared so she called the police.
After receiving a restraining order Perez said Morales knocked on her door trying to get into her home. This was on Dec. 2, 2018, and she said she called the police and Gustavo was arrested.
She even installed surveillance cameras at her home because she felt unsafe.
Perez claims when Gustavo drinks he gets angry and threatens her, but when he is sober he is generally calm and would even greet her.
"He would call me a ***** and said 'I'd hit you,' said Perez "He's explosive (when Gustavo drinks. He's a totally different person." She said she is unsure why Gustavo held this seeming animosity towards her when drinking.
Officer Garcia with Police said he responded to the Dec. 2, 2018 incident and that Moarles was uncooperative with police. When instructed to not move he took out his keys from the ignition and said he was rolling up the window, said Officer Garcia.
Officer Garcia said that he tried to control Gustavo but a scuffle ensued and Gustavo landed right on top of him. The officer said he yelled profanity and hit Gustavo trying to get him off and even tried tasing him, but that was ineffective.
Gustavo tried pushing the taser down and it ended up in a muddy puddle and was broken, said Garcia.
Officer Garcia told the defense that he and two other officers hit Gustavo a little over 30 times while trying to detain him. He said more officers helped restrain Gustavo but once handcuffed Gustavo was never hit again.
Another witness called to testify for the prosecution was the mother of Gustavo's two children, a 31-year-old Jane Doe, who relayed over a decade of alleged physical and mental abuse at the hands of the defendant. She said she lived with Gustavo from 2011 to 2013 and has a 12-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter with the defendant.
She said Gustavo was normal when sober but when he drank he would physically abuse her. The first time was when she told Gustavo she was pregnant with their son.
"When I told him I was pregnant he began hitting me in the legs," said Jane Doe. "He said, 'I'm too young for that and started hitting me.'"
When asked how many times Gustavo had assaulted her Jane Doe said, "There were so many I don't have a count."
She said the worst time she could remember being abused by Morales was when she was seven months pregnant with their son. Gustavo asked for a CD to listen to while drunk and she responded that she didn't know where it was.
He repeatedly asked and she repeatedly said she didn't know. That's when she says Gustavo allegedly started choking her. "My face was hot ... I just heard a little pound noise," said Jane Doe.
He allegedly screamed claiming that she had cheated on him and the son wasn't his. His mother and father had to get him off her and her father tried tying him with a rope, she said in court.
She said she never reported her abuse to the police because Gustavo wouldn't let her. He wouldn't let her leave their room, or get a job and she did not have a cell phone at the time.
The last straw for her occurred in 2013 when she was breastfeeding their then 3-month-old daughter. She claims there was no prior argument or warning when Gustavo began choking her for one to two minutes.
She said he only stopped when "I screamed 'The baby!'" To indicate their daughter was falling from her grasp.
She ended up running away and later on, getting a restraining order against him. When he drinks Jane Doe claims the defendant is "Aggressive" and "when he drinks he doesn't think, he just acts... "He's uncontrollable."
That didn't end the physical abuse and in May of 2019, disagreement over her son's hair led to another altercation. She said Gustavo had custody over their son and on the third day Gustavo had the boy's hair cut.
This was against the boy's and his mother's wishes. The boy had asked his mother to pick him up from Gustavo's residence at the time on North Hebbron Avenue.
When she arrived she said Gustavo was at the door and, "I called for my son and he just started hitting me." He punched her in the face multiple times and pulled her hair, claimed Jane Doe.
She said she lost consciousness and when she woke up she was pushed down to the ground by Gustavo. She then was punched two more times by Gustavo, while his brother had her in a headlock.
She said she suffered bruises to her arms, and legs, she had a busted lip and purple eye from the alleged beating.
Salinas Police Officer Gabe Garcia was asked to testify and he said Jane Doe was seen with a bloody upper lip and bruising to her left side. She was then taken to Natividad for medical attention.
The trial is scheduled to continue on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
The prosecution said they would interview the last of their witnesses then.
Alleged Salinas cop killer testifies in court about moments leading up to deadly shooting
UPDATE ON OCT. 16, 2023 AT 9:27 PM- The man accused of shooting and killing Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr. in February 2022 took the stand Monday morning to testify on his own behalf.
Prosecutors asked Gustavo Morales about the days and moments leading up to the deadly shooting.
On the stand, Morales was visibly twitching as he explained that Officer Alvarado didn't do anything to him, but feared the officer would kill him during a traffic stop that night.
The prosecution argued every previous encounter Morales had with law enforcement in the past was "a good one" and Morales agreed with that statement in court.
Prosecutors also said Morales had no reason, based on the statement, to fear Alvarado on that February 25, 2022 night.
As for the days leading up to the shooting, Morales testified he previously moved to Oregon and went to two gun shows. He also purchased a pistol from an individual in Idaho that he would eventually allegedly use to kill the Salinas officer.
Morales testified he "needed protection" because he knew he was going to return to Salinas and feared gang members in the city.
On the night of the shooting, Morales testified he was smoking marijuana and drinking in Chualar. He took a drive to Watsonville before going back to Salinas.
The pistol he allegedly used to kill Alvarado was in the passenger seat of the vehicle he was driving.
While drinking, Morales also testified he had a conversation over text with a love interest but the mood of the conversation wasn't a horrible one.
At some point, Officer Alvarado made a U-turn to follow Morales with the intention of performing a traffic stop and eventually pulling him over.
Morales was stopped outside of the El Pollo Loco along Market Street. He testified as he was getting pulled over he called his sister but it wasn't revealed in court what Morales said to his sister.
Morales testified that he feared for his life and started loading the pistol in the car before he would get out.
"If I didn't act in that moment... that was my last chance to save myself," Morales testified. "I closed my eyes and took the longest walk of my life."
It was then Morales who shot Officer Alvarado 12 to 13 times and left the scene.
Morales testified to prosecutors he was wounded and bleeding from the hand. He then tried going to a friend's house and described his intentions to escape to Mexico after the shooting.
Morales's landlord also testified in court on Monday afternoon.
The landlord told the courtroom that she met Morales in late 2021 through a Facebook marketplace post that had an AD for a room to rent.
She also stated that she lived with Morales for two months in Watsonville and they both worked opposite shifts.
She said that Morales was very kind and would pay rent on time.
The landlord said that Morales's sister picked up her belongings just two days after the shooting.
The defense called Morales's sister, Alma Morales to the stand.
She told the courtroom that she was in her house and in her bedroom the night that the shooting took place.
On Feb. 25, 2022, she answered a phone call from her brother at 10:37 p.m. and her brother said the following.
"I love you, the police is going to kill me."
Alma said that is when she heard gunshots over the phone and did not hear from him again.
She told the courtroom that she called their dad and told him what happened.
"The feeling at the time was scared."
She said that she was interviewed by investigators just two days after the shooting took place.
At first, Morales's sister told investigators she did not know where her brother lived.
The prosecutors showed a video in the courtroom of Alma and their mother getting interviewed in Spanish by law enforcement officers on Feb. 27, 2022.
Prosecutors said that in the interview, Alma answered the phone call from her brother who told her that he was being followed and sounded good when the phone disconnected.
The prosecution also showed evidence that on the night of the shooting, Alma was on the phone with her brother for 53 seconds.
Prosecutors also said that the day after the shooting, law enforcement officers went to Alma's house and detained her.
According to the Prosecution, Morales was interviewed twice with the first interview taking place on Feb. 27, 2022.
A defense investigator interviewed Morales just two months before the trial started on August 3, 2023.
Morales's sister was subject to a recall.
The trial will resume on Wednesday morning at 8:30 a.m.
Day three concludes in trial for alleged Salinas cop killer, jury presented with autopsy of officer
On the third day of trial for accused Salinas Police murderer Gustavo Morales the prosecution asked more witnesses and law experts to take the stand. The autopsy results as well as a map of the traffic stop that resulted in the deadly traffic stop was also laid out using surveillance video.
A cell phone data expert, Peter Austin, with the Monterey County District Attorney's Office was tasked with sharing with the court the data usage from three cell phones on the day of JD Alavarado's murder on Feb 25, 2022.
The cell phones belonged to Gustavo Morales and his parents Manuela and Arturo.
Austin says Gustavo's data usage shows that around the time of the deadly traffic stop, the defendant placed a call to his brother Melvin and then Alma. His conversation with his sister Alma was at 10:37 and lasted for around 53 seconds. It was his last recorded phone call that night.
Then Gustavo and his parents' cell phone usage was tracked in the Salinas area to the South of Monterey County near the Chualar area and later back to Salinas. This matches the timeline given previously by the Monterey County District Attorney's Office claiming Morales went to his parent's house, was on his way to Natividad Medical Center before deciding against it, to a family friend's residence and ultimately ended up at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital.
Arturo Morales also stated in his testimony Wednesday this was what occurred that night.
The family friend whom the Morales's visited after deciding against going to Natividad also the stand Thursday morning. Octavio Cruz spoke through an interpreter and said on Feb 25. 2022, around 11 p.m. he was awoken by Gustavo, his parents and their youngest son.
He was not expecting them and noticed Gustavo was bleeding from the hand.
He said an effort was made to try to stop the bleeding with a belt, but that didn't help. So he encouraged Gustavo to go to the hospital and at some point Gustavo blurted out "We're screwed!" But did not offer details to Octavio as to why he said that.
Gustavo then asked Octavio for a favor. "He asked if I could sell him a car but It wasn't mine," said Octavio.
Gustavo told him he wanted to drive to Tijuana. He then asked Octavio if he would drive him to Tijuana but he also refused that request.
The next to take the stand was Forensic Pathologist with the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.
Dr. Venus Azar was asked to identify and describe the 12 gunshot wounds found in Officer JD Alvarado during his autopsy.
Family of Officer Alvarado was noticeably emotional, a few were brought to tears seeing photos of the fallen officer.
The first four went straight through his head. One went through his upper back and left shoulder. These six shots were considered lethal, said Dr. Azar and there is no way of knowing which one killed Officer Alvarado.
Someone is expected to die within seconds after receiving these types of wounds and no medical attention would suffice.
The other gunshot wounds were: a graze to the skin, a shot to the left upper back, two shots to the upper left arm, and one shot went through his left hand, said Dr. Azar.
Four of the gunshot wounds never left his body and were recovered during the autopsy. His cause of death was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds
Dr. Azar said due to soot found on Alvarado's uniform the shooter couldn't have been farther than three to four feet away when shooting.
The day ended with DA investigator John Magana taking the stand again. Prosecutor Christopher Puck asked Magana to go through a map route of the start and end of the deadly traffic stop. Surveillance and body cam video was taken from several areas along the path and shows the route from the start of the traffic stop, to the shooting location and and ends with Gustavo arriving at his parent's home.
Texts also were show between Gustavo Morales and a man labeled "Fuzka" on his phone.
The man labeled "Fuzka," meaning gun in Spanish slang, was texting Gustavo on Feb. 21 about purchasing a firearm. The man was identified as Spencer John Gibson, who is now facing federal gun trafficking charges as told to the court on Wednesday.
Gibson was the last known buyer of the Taurus psitol that killed Officer Alvarado.
The conversations read as follows:
Gustavo: Hey bro, I saved money for an r it it's possible
Fuzka: I have one for 800
Gustavo: I'll be headed up to Oregon in one month
Fuzka: I'm in Nampa, Idaho. Could you come over here
Gustavo: Can we meet in the same place as last time
Fuzka: Ontario, right. Sure
...
Fuzka: When is the soonest you can meet in Ontario
Gustavo: Am in Cali but am just waiting on my job to start then I'll head that way
Fuzka: I can only do before Thursday night or after March 5th
Gustavo: Ok it I'll after
Fuzka: Ok. Let me know
According to court documents, the gun used to kill Officer Alvarado was purchased on Dec. 21, 2021 at a D&B Supply in Kuna, Idaho.
Law enforcement contacted the seller on March 8 and told the gun was sold and used to kill a police officer.
According to court documents, the seller started crying, "I shouldn't be selling guns. I should have been making for IDs," according to court documents.
The trial will resume Monday at 8:30 a.m.
Alleged Salinas Cop killer's father takes the stand in second day of trial
UPDATE ON OCT. 11, 2023 AT 5:22 PM- On Wednesday morning, forensic investigators and the father of defendant Gustavo Morales took the stand on the second day of trial.
The first witness to take the stand was Adam Lutz who is with the California Department of Justice.
Lutz told the courtroom that his task was to assist in processing Officer Alvarado's car on March 2, 2022, for evidence.
Lutz said he was able to make out several entry and exit points from bullets and told the courtroom he had never seen so much biological evidence on the passenger side of the vehicle.
He also told the courtroom that he found a tooth in the passenger side of the vehicle.
Lutz said that two bullets were recovered from the driver-side door that matched the profile of full metal jacket bullets. He did add that in his analysis there was no damage to the vehicle made from inside the car.
Lutz made an observation when Officer Alvarado's body cam video was shown in the courtroom and he said that there was a tan foot getting into the frame as the shooter got closer and fired his weapon continuously.
Next to take the stand was Detective Richardson with Salinas Police. Richardson told the courtroom that he was in charge of collecting a swab test for evidence from Morales on Feb. 26, 2022.
That evidence was later turned over to the California Department of Justice.
The evidence was turned in by John Magana who is with the Monterey County District Attorney's Office who noted there was nothing wrong with the packaged evidence.
Kevin Gazlay who is a senior criminal analyst with the California Department of Justice took the stand as well.
Gazlay said he was tasked with making a DNA profile using the swab test that was submitted by Salinas PD.
He made the profile and used a swab from a bullet recovered from the scene blood from a slipper that was recovered at the scene of the shooting and blood from the ground.
Gazlay told the courtroom that all DNA evidence did match the DNA of Morales.
Gazlay said that the likelihood of DNA at the crime scene matching and being from someone else is the equivalent of winning a trillion-dollar lottery a trillion times.
The jury heard from the defendant's father Arturo Morales who is a 51-year-old farmworker.
During his testimony, Arturo could not remember the night of Feb. 25, 2022. He testified that he was nervous and his son called him and moments later showed up to his house with a bloody hand on Hebbron Avenue.
Arturo told the prosecution that his son asked him for a ride to the hospital and told him that the police wanted to do something to him.
The jury saw the evidence of the Ring Video footage where Arturo waited for his son to pull up to their home.
The defendant's father told the courtroom that he parked the 1986 Silver Honda correctly, took the 9 mm semi-automatic gun wrapped it in aluminum foil, and tucked it in a drawer.
He told prosecutors he tucked the gun in the drawer so the children would not see it.
Monterey County Deputy District Attorney Christopher Puck pressed about talks that the defendant would head to Tijuana.
Arturo only responded saying that they drove on Southbound Highway 101 momentarily and worked on convincing his son to head to a hospital.
They arrived at Natividad Medical Center but Arturo did not see any police presence at the hospital.
When they arrived at Salinas Valley Health, Gustavo Morales stopped fighting treatment and entered the hospital.
Salinas Police Homicide Detective Alex Zamora had another recollection of events that transpired almost a year ago. Zamora said that when he interviewed Arturo a year ago he told him that his son went into the house barefoot.
While he was bleeding and on the way to the hospital, Gustavo told his parents he was in a shootout with police.
Monterey County District Attorney's Office Investigator Rachel Maldonado said that she contacted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives asking to trace the 9mm Taurus pistol allegedly used by Gustavo Morales in the crime.
The 9mm Taurus was traced to a firearms dealer in Idaho, Spencer John Gibson, who allegedly sold Morales the gun and was discussing selling a fully automatic rifle to the defendant as well. Maldonado added that Gibson is being prosecuted in federal court for arms trafficking, including for selling the Taurus pistol to Gustavo.
The trial is expected to resume on Thursday at 10 a.m. and will begin with a review of call detail records from Gustavo Morales and his parent's phones.
Trial begins for alleged Salinas cop killer, opening statements are being made
UPDATE ON OCT. 9, 2023 AT 10:15 A.M.- On Monday morning, opening statements were presented in the trial of Gustavo Morales who is accused of killing Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr. on Feb. 25, 2022.
The prosecution is presenting the case in which Morales not only killed Officer Alvarado but acted with a pre-existing intent to kill in approximately two minutes from the time that he was pulled over to the time he allegedly fired his 9 mm semi-automatic weapon.
Morales's defense team is working to convince the jury that Morales had hypervigilance about confrontations and felt like his life was in danger.
The jury is made up of 10 women and two men. The jury was shown body cam footage of February 25 at approximately 10:32 p.m. when Morales was pulled over for a broken light and loud muffler in his 1986 Honda along Sherwood Drive.
The body cam footage showed Officer Alvarado making a U-turn and then a left turn on Market Street. Alvarado turned on his police lights while Morales did not immediately pull over until one or two blocks later making a right on Griffin Street.
While the video is being shown in the courtroom, Morales is hanging his head.
In the video, gunshots are heard the moment Officer Alvarado steps out of his vehicle. According to the prosecution, he was shot 12 times with four bullets striking his head.
"He was killed many times over," said the prosecution.
Alvarado who had been with Salinas PD for a year and a half, managed to fire two rounds at Morales.
One struck Morales in the hand, entering through the knuckle and exiting through his wrist.
The defendant had a suspended license and was on probation for a DUI. Monterey County Deputy District Attorney Christopher Puck argued that Morales had already developed a passion for guns, knew he would be jailed acted with intent, and planned to kill in the approximately two minutes he had as he was being pulled over.
Prosecutors then explained how if it weren’t for Officer Alverado - who managed to fire back despite being shot 12 times — they wouldn’t have what they called overwhelming evidence in their case.
One landing bullet hit the suspect in the hand… and hospitals were alerted for gunshot patients.
A little more than an hour after the attack, Morales showed up at Salinas Valley Health for his injured hand, and authorities were notified. A warrant according to prosecutors led to the search of his address on file, where a matching Honda described by witnesses was found and a 9 mm semi-automatic gun.
The single landing bullet from Alvarado's gun was tested and contains Morales' DNA.
A brave witness took the stand saying he tried blocking Morales with his cargo van. He identified him in court pointing to Morales.
The day that Officer Alvarado died, he had been selected to join the Salinas SWAT Team.
Jury selection starts Wednesday in alleged Salinas cop killer case, 94 witnesses expected to testify
UPDATE ON OCT. 2, 2023 AT 3:05 P.M. Defense and prosecuting attorneys began forming a questionnaire for potential jurors in the Gustavo Morales case in court Monday.
Gustavo Morales is the suspect in the shooting death of Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr.
Morales is accused of shooting Alvarado in February of 2022, but not before being wounded in the hand. It's an injury the prosecution claims is a key piece of evidence in the case.
94 total witnesses are expected to testify during the trial, the majority of which are from Salinas Police.
Morales previously entered a not-guilty plea to all charges he faces. The maximum penalty which, according to the judge, is life without parole.
The trial is expected to last approximately four weeks.
Jury selection begins early Wednesday.
Change of venue for alleged Salinas cop killer denied jury selection to start
SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV)- UPDATE September 26, 2023, at 3:27 p.m.- Monterey County Superior Court Judge Rafael Vazquez denied a motion to change the venue for a man wanted for allegedly murdering a Salinas Police Officer.
Gustavo Matias Morales appeared in court with his defense team as Judge Vazquez stipulated what the jury selection process would be like for the start of the trial on Monday. Vazquez looked at serval factors to determine if Morales would be denied a fair trial if it proceeded in Monterey County.
- The nature and gravity of the offense in where the alleged crime took place
- the nature and extent of news coverage
- size of the community in Monterey County (since it's so small the pool of potential jurors would likely know of the case)
- status of the defendant in the community
- Popularity and prominence of the victim versus that of the defendant
Ultimately, Judge Vazquez determined that the alleged murder by Gustavo Morales of Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr. did not meet the above criteria for a change of venue.
Judge Vazquez said that any media coverage that spoke on the initial incident or the weeks following was fair and not sensational. It also mostly stopped two weeks after the death of Officer JD Alvarado.
The defense filed another motion to keep the jury small with no more than 18 people, that motion was also denied.
Jury selection is slated to begin on Monday, October 2, with 350 being interviewed to serve on a potential jury.
The defense and prosecution agreed to a hardship questionnaire to snuff out potential bias in a potential juror. After that, an additional seven-question questionnaire will be filled out to weed out any potential jurors that have fixed opinions or would make a fair trial not possible.
UPDATE September 20, 2023, at 12:41 p.m.- The man accused of murdering a Salinas Police Officer during a traffic stop in Feb of 2022 is expected to have his trial start the jury selection process at the end of the month.
Gustavo Matias Morales is slated to have his trial start on Oct. 2, 2023, for allegedly killing Salinas Police Office Jorge David Alvarado Jr. while the officer was seated in his marked patrol car near the intersection of East Market and Griffin Street.
His defense filed a motion for a change of venue as they believe Morales will be unable to receive a fair trial in Monterey County. They asked the judge for a change of venue based on five factors:
- The nature and gravity of the offense in where the alleged crime took place
- the nature and extent of news coverage
- size of the community in Monterey County (since it's so small the pool of potential jurors would likely know of the case)
- status of the defendant in the community
- Popularity and prominence of the victim versus that of the defendant
All these factors combined make finding a truly impartial jury very difficult, argued the defense. They cited 110 articles, 21 of which were from local media, and said that the case had received too much publicity.
The Monterey County District Attorney's Office countered in their own filing to the court saying that they opposed the decision to have a change of venue. They said that most of the news coverage was outside the Monterey County area and was a few sentences long.
That news coverage and social media posts did not contain any sort of inflammatory, prejudicial and/or speculative content. Additionally, the engagement on the post wasn't very high.
The defense asked the judge for two conditions if the case remains in Monterey County:
- The jury be small and kept to 12 to 18 jurors
- The use of open-ended and follow-up questions in voir dire (a preliminary examination of a witness or a juror by a judge or counsel.)
The decision to potentially change the trial location will be held on Sept. 26 at the Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. The process of selecting a jury will also be held on the same day.
At this time the new potential county for the trial has not been decided.
Man accused of killing Salinas Officer to have a jury trial in October
UPDATE FEB.21, 2023, at 10:41 a.m.- The man accused of killing a Salinas Police officer nearly a year ago appeared in a Salinas courtroom Tuesday to set a trial date.
Gustavo Matias Morales agreed to a trial start date of Oct. 2, 2023. He will face charges stemming from the murder of Salinas Police Office Jorge David Alvarado Jr. back on Feb. 25, 2022.
There will be two additional status conferences in between the October trial start date.
DA: Man accused of killing Salinas Officer to have a jury trial in Fall
UPDATE FEB.1, 2022, at 4:38 p.m.- The Monterey County District Attorney's Office told KION that the man accused of killing a Salinas Police Officer almost a year ago would most likely be put on trial in the Fall of 2023.
Gustavo Matias Morales had a hearing motion Tuesday in a Salinas courtroom. His lawyers tried to get some charges and enhancements dismissed.
The motion was denied by the judge and a jury trial setting will be on Feb. 21 in Salinas. There a date for the setting of the jury will be decided.
The district attorney's office says the selection will likely happen in the fall to ensure the family can make it and let investigators be prepared.
Morales faces a first-degree murder charge of a peace officer and special enhancements. Morales killed Salinas Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr. during a traffic stop in late Feb.
DA will not seek the death penalty for a man accused of killing Salinas Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr.
SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV)- UPDATE NOV. 8, 2022, at 11:30 a.m.- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced Tuesday her office would not seek the death penalty for a man accused of murdering a Salinas Police officer in Feb.
Gustavo Matias Morales was held to answer at a preliminary hearing in Oct. for the first-degree murder of Jorge David Alvarado Jr. He is accused of shooting at the officer, who was sitting in his patrol car, during a traffic stop and killing him at 10:41 p.m. on Griffin Street in Salinas.
The reason given by the DA's Office for not seeking the death penalty is the "dysfunctional status of capital punishment and consultation with Officer Jorge David Alvarado's family."
California last executed a condemned inmate 16 years ago on January 17, 2006. Clarence Ray Allen
was seventy-six years old and had spent approximately twenty-three years on death row.Four inmates from Monterey County remain condemned to death. On average, about twenty-four
years has passed since they received a sentence of death.Under the Condemned Inmate Transfer Pilot Program (CITPP), inmates condemned to death can
Monterey County District Attorney's Office
volunteer to be transferred from death row to other state prisons. Inmates participating in the CITPP
acquire the classification status of a prisoner serving a sentence of life without the possibility of
parole.
Other reasons given are the more expensive pre-trial and post-trial rights defendants get when facing the death penalty. This would extend the time needed to go to trial and uphold a death penalty judgment that exhausts the appellate process, said Pacioni.
If found guilty, Morales faces a sentence of life in prison. He is scheduled for court on Dec. 15, 2022.
Man accused of killing Salinas Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr. pleads not guilty again
UPDATE Oct. 27, 2022, at 1:30 p.m.- The man accused of murdering Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr. on Feb. 25 was in court Thursday for a new arraignment hearing.
Morales was in court with his attorney and pled not guilty to all charges and special allegations. He is next scheduled for a 995 hearing on Dec. 15.
He is being housed in San Benito County Jail on a no-bail hold.
Man accused of killing Salinas Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr. to stand trial for murder
UPDATE August 18, 2022, at 12:30 p.m.- The man accused of murdering Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr. on Feb. 25, will stand trial for his murder, announced a Salinas judge Thursday.
Gustavo Matias Morales allegedly shot Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr. 12 times that night on East Market Street, according to a person who performed Alavardo's autopsy.
The prosecutor presented evidence to the judge, including a confession by Morales to an informant that he shot an officer and that the gun he used was recovered in his parent’s house in East Salinas. They also showed images of Morales' car.
Officer Alvarado’s body cam footage of the shooting was also shown in court. Along with surveillance video from a nearby business that saw Morales driving away after allegedly shooting Alvarado.
The prosecutor’s closing statement was that Morales knew he was arrestable and executed Officer Alvarado because of it. He added that Officer Alvarado shot Morales in the left hand and miraculously identified Morales as his killer because of it.
The judge agreed with the prosecution that the evidence was enough to hold Morales for a trial on those murder charges.
Morales’s next court appearance will be on October 27th at 8:30 a.m., which will be for his arraignment. He will remain in the Monterey County Jail on a no-bail hold.
Suspect accused of murdering Salinas police officer makes court appearance before preliminary hearing
UPDATE JULY 26, 2022, at 12:45 p.m.- The man suspected of murdering Jorge David Alvarado Jr. made a court appearance Tuesday in Salinas.
Gustavo Matias Morales had his preliminary examination set for August 18 for allegedly murdering Alvarado Jr. during a traffic stop in February.
When KION asked Morales' attorney for a statement in the case, he said, "Not at this time."
Morales faces charges of murdering a peace officer with special enhancements added.
Suspect accused of murdering Salinas police officer makes court appearance, new charges added
UPDATE MAY 10, 2022, at 1:45 p.m.-- The man accused of murdering a Salinas Police Officer appeared at the Superior Court of California, County of Monterey, in Salinas Tuesday morning.
Gustavo Morales got an additional special circumstance added for murder to avoid arrest. This will be added to his previous charge of murdering a peace officer, said the Monterey County DA's office.
Morales was also arraigned on three misdemeanors for violating probation.
He is next scheduled for court on June 7 at 8:30 a.m. for a setting for a preliminary hearing.
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UPDATE APRIL 28, 2022 at 12:45 p.m.-- The Monterey County District Attorney's Office said the family of a man accused of killing Salinas Police Officer Jorge Alvarado Jr. is currently not facing criminal charges.
After court documents say the family changed their story, would not speak with investigating officers, and even cleaned out the residence Gustavo was staying at in Watsonville after speaking with officers.
According to the DA's office, there is not enough evidence to hold any family members with criminal charges.
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UPDATE APRIL 8, 2022, at 11:29 a.m.-- In court documents obtained by KION, it was revealed the Monterey County District Attorney's Office served a search warrant on several properties believed to hold evidence in the murder of Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr.
Ten cell phones, four belonging to suspected murderer Gustavo Morales and the rest belonging to Gustavo's mother, father, two sisters, brother, and one of his sister's boyfriends, were seized as evidence.
An illegally purchased Taurus G3 pistol, believed to be the weapon that killed Officer Alvarado, was also found in the home of Morales' parents on the 40th block of North Hebbron Avenue.
The documents allege that on the day Morales killed Alvarado, he drove to his parent's home and was taken to Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital for an injury to the webbing of his left hand.
That same night, Salinas Detectives used a witness to identify Gustavo as Officer Alvarado's killer, and he was arrested, according to the DA's office.
While being booked, Morales made two spontaneous statements, the first being about not seeing the "light of day" anymore and the second about hearing "voices" in his head.
On Feb. 26, SWAT served a search warrant on Morales' parent's home, his father's vehicle, and Morales' vehicle parked at his parent's house.
Morales' father showed officers where the gun was in the residence and added that Gustavo had the gun when he arrived at his home the night Officer Alvarado was killed.
When interviewed, Gustavo's parents said they drove him to the hospital in his father's work van to treat his left hand, which was bleeding.
His parents also said Gustavo stated he was just "in a shootout with police."
Ring doorbell footage was taken from the parent's front door, and Gustavo's cell phone was found in his truck and taken as evidence.
When interviewed the next day, Morale's parents now said that Gustavo never told them he got shot and that they didn't ask him what happened.
The father added that his wife, Gustavo, and Gustavo's brother drove for 15-20 minutes and tried to convince Gustavo to go to the hospital.
One of Gustavo's sisters was interviewed about contact with him on the day of the shooting.
She admitted to a single call at 10:37 p.m. where Gustavo told her, "they are following me," and that a car was behind him before their call got disconnected.
That statement was a lie because call logs of the suspect's phone revealed four calls between the two that day.
Gustavo's brother was also interviewed alone in the backyard of the parent's home and admitted to being there when Gustavo showed up bleeding but said he would not say anything more.
The father appeared and told the brother not to speak with the police, to which the brother replied to an officer, "I'm not saying anything more than what my dad said."
All four family members were asked if they knew where in Watsonville Gustavo lived and worked, and they all said they did not.
A man in Watsonville said he rented a room to Gustavo for two months. After the investigators interviewed the four family members, the sister present went to the landlord's home and asked to get Gustavo's belongings.
She stated it was an emergency and that her brother was not returning.
The landlord said that she showed up with a man, who was the boyfriend of Gustavo's other sister (Sister 2), and he helped gather the belongings.
On Feb. 28, officer's waited for a search warrant pending at a residence belonging to Sister 1 on the 1200 block of San Blanco Drive. All three of Gustavo's siblings arrived and were detained and notified of the pending search.
While waiting, Sister 2's boyfriend arrived, and the house was searched, but no additional evidence was found.
Investigators were searching Gustavo's parent's home on the same day, and four cell phones were seized from Gustavo's vehicle.
A man named "Fuzka," meaning gun in Spanish, was texting Gustavo on Feb. 21 about purchasing a firearm.
The conversations read as follows:
Gustavo: Hey bro, I saved money for an r it it's possible
Fuzka: I have one for 800
Gustavo: I'll be headed up to Oregon in one month
Fuzka: I'm in Nampa, Idaho. Could you come over here
Gustavo: Can we meet in the same place as last time
Fuzka: Ontario, right. Sure
...
Fuzka: When is the soonest you can meet in Ontario
Gustavo: Am in Cali but am just waiting on my job to start then I'll head that way
Fuzka: I can only do before Thursday night or after March 5th
Gustavo: Ok it I'll after
Fuzka: Ok. Let me know
According to court documents, the gun used to kill Officer Alvarado was purchased on Dec. 21, 2021 at a D&B Supply in Kuna, Idaho.
Law enforcement contacted the seller on March 8 and told the gun was sold and used to kill a police officer.
According to court documents, the seller started crying, "I shouldn't be selling guns. I should have been making for IDs," according to court documents.
The man accused of shooting and killing Salinas Police Officer Jorge Alvarado Jr. has been moved to San Benito County Jail.
Gustavo Matias Morales is scheduled for a preliminary examination hearing Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at the Monterey County Superior Court.
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ORIGINAL STORY
The Monterey County District Attorney said a suspect charged with the murder of Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado Jr. was arraigned in court Tuesday.
Gustavo Matias Morales pleaded not guilty on all charges.
According to the DA's Office, charges against Morales are for premeditated murder, shooting at an occupied vehicle and assault on a peace officer with a semi-automatic firearm.
Special enhancements for his alleged crimes include the murder of a peace officer engaged in duties, two enhancements for personal and intentional discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury and intentional use of a firearm.
READ MORE: Law enforcement honors fallen Officer Alvarado with a procession
On Feb. 25, at around 10:41 p.m., Officer Alvarado began a traffic stop on East Market Street, and Morales pulled over his vehicle and exited, walking towards the patrol car.
Morales then fired a 'barrage' of bullets at Officer Alvarado while walking toward the officer's patrol car.
READ MORE: Salinas Police officer murdered returned fire, helps investigators capture killer
While Alvarado was still seated in his car, he fired back and hit the web of Morales's left hand.
"We are very appreciative of the support the community has demonstrated in this catastrophic incident for our family. I'm offering the sincerest thank yous from the bottom of my heart," Officer Alvarado Jr.'s brother, Jorge Ernesto Alvarado, said.
Gustavo Morales is next scheduled for court on March 22.
