By RICHARD PALOMA
rpaloma@oakdaleleader.com
Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Detectives and crime scene technicians worked late into the night investigating a homicide after Riverbank Police Services officers responded to the 2600 block of Topeka Street for a report of a person shot and laying in the street.
Sheriff officials reported that the call came in at 11:43 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 22 and when responding deputies arrived, they found a 31-year old-man down in the roadway, suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper body.
Emergency medical personnel arrived and pronounced the victim deceased at the scene. On Monday, Dec. 28, the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as 31-year-old Noe Hernandez of Riverbank.
Dawn Ellingburgan, a resident on the 2600 block of Topeka Street, said investigators had Topeka Street blocked off a good portion of the night on Tuesday into early Wednesday, Dec. 23.
“I had crime scene tape in front of my house blocking off one end and the other end of the street (block) was taped off too,” Ellingburgan said on Wednesday.
While investigating the incident, officers learned 22-year-old Guillermo Medina of Modesto was possibly involved in the shooting and arrested him in the area a short time later.
Authorities placed Medina under arrest after the stop and charged him with murder. Medina was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail.
One resident, who identified himself only as “Keith” of the Modesto Mobile Park on Topeka Street, said he saw sheriff’s units conduct a high risk stop of a green SUV on Santa Fe Street near the trailer park one block away shortly after crews arrived on scene.
Detectives are calling the incident a “domestic dispute” which led to the victim being shot.
One resident of a neighboring apartment who knew the victim, but asked not to be identified, said on Wednesday morning that the motive was a love triangle involving Medina’s wife.
“Domestic dispute – that’s all we’ll comment on about the relationship at this time,” said Sheriff’s spokesperson Sgt. Anthony Bejaran when asked for confirmation.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Detective Jesse Tovar at (209) 525-7080.
