SAN JOSE — Police arrested eight men for allegedly fatally shooting a man in January as they sought to find and kill rival gang members, authorities announced at a press conference Friday morning.
On Wednesday, SJPD and several partner agencies arrested the eight suspects for allegedly shooting and killing 27-year-old Wilson Martinez-Vasquez, a resident of San Jose.
At the press conference, SJPD Police Chief Paul Joseph said that the eight men targeted the San Jose neighborhood in an attempt to kill rival gang members but that their victim was random.
“A 27-year-old victim was shot by these individuals who placed no value on human life, and without hesitation, took his,” Joseph said. “They subsequently left San Jose as if they had attended a concert or a sporting event, believing they had covered their tracks. They never thought they would answer for their carefully planned game: assassination roulette.”
Joseph said that the men allegedly belong to a small subset of a Norteños street gang, and he added that the gang has been linked to several fatalities in Monterey County.
“To the people of San Jose, I want you to know we have stopped their reign of terror,” Joseph said. “They will not be returning to San Jose.”
Shortly after 10 p.m. on Jan. 11, SJPD officers responded to a shooting on the 3100 block of Loma Verde Drive, authorities said. Upon arrival, they found Martinez-Vasquez with at least one gunshot wound. Officers attempted life-saving measures and the victim was transported to the hospital, but he succumbed to his wounds.
In their investigation, police found that the eight suspects were associated with a gang based out of Greenfield, a city in Monterey County. They acquired eight arrest warrants and fourteen residential search warrants. The investigation was also assisted by automated license plate readers and video surveillance, Joseph said.
“San Jose is a great place to visit,” Joseph said. “But if you come here and commit violence and you take a life, we will come visit you.”
Authorities are continuing to investigate the motive of the killing. Joseph added that they do not know whether the victim was affiliated with a gang.
Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto added that it is common for gangs to travel up and down the state.
“Gangs may geographically be in a certain area, but when they commit crimes, they know no boundaries,” Nieto said. “They go to the places that they think they’re not going to get caught.”
The men arrested include: Adrian Pineda-Juarez, a 20-year-old resident of Greenfield; David Gomez-Moreno, a 19-year-old resident of Soledad; Andre Novoa, an 18-year-old resident of Greenfield; Damien Perea, a 19-year-old resident of Sacramento; Diego Narez, a 19-year-old resident of King City; Anthony Martinez, a 19-year-old resident of Soledad; Eduardo Camacho-Hernandez, a 20-year-old resident of Greenfield; and Dario Botello, a 19-year-old resident of Elverta.
Police also seized one handgun, one shotgun and two rifles in their searches, Joseph said.
Joseph added that the incident is an example of the “rise in youth violence in our community and beyond.”
“These young people embraced a world of violence that turned them into executioners for a cause that will never serve them,” Joseph said. “We cannot allow this to be the future of our young people. We will not let this be their legacy.”
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan added that the case highlights the “urgent need we have to address how young lives are being impacted by gangs and consumed by cycles of violence.”
“We as a society need to do more to intervene earlier, to disrupt these cycles, to find more productive and constructive pathways for our young people, but also ensure accountability when young people are making terrible decisions,” he said.
The arrest operation was conducted in collaboration with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, the San Jose Special Operations Division, the SJPD Covert Response Unit, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, the King City Police Department, the Greenfield Police Department, the Salinas Police Department, the Watsonville Police Department, the Monterey Peninsula Special Response Unit, the Sacramento Police Department and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, authorities said.
Joseph added that more than 100 San Jose officers were involved in the arrests.
Pineda-Juarez is in custody in Monterey County after being arrested on suspicion of a separate homicide at the time of the operation. He will face separate charges in Santa Clara County, authorities said.
Related Articles
Shooting in West Oakland kills one, injures another Killer in 1976 Santa Cruz County cold case identified through DNA evidence Man shot last month in Oakland dies from wounds Through plea deal, Oakland sex workers get murder charges dismissed Man charged with murder in California police pursuit crash that killed womanThe other men were booked into Santa Clara County Main Jail on suspicion of murder, authorities said.
The killing marked San Jose’s first homicide of 2025.
Anyone with further information regarding the incident has been asked to contact Detective Sergeant Martinez #4117 at 4117@sanjoseca.gov or Detective Jorgensen #4090 at 4090@sanjoseca.gov. They can also be reached at 408-277-5283.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( San Jose: Eight men arrested in city’s first homicide of 2025 )
Also on site :