Modesto double homicide: Four of five suspects in custody
By Kevin Valine - kvaline@modbee.com


MODESTO -- 7:59 A.M. UPDATE: Four suspects believed to be involved in a double-homicide in east Modesto early this morning have been taken into custody, according to the Modesto Police Department.

A police perimeter surrounding the area from Floyd Avenue and Roselle Avenue to Lincoln Oak to Merle Avenue and back to Roselle, which had been set in the early morning hours, has been dismantled.

One suspect is still outstanding, according to Modesto police Sgt. Brian Findlen.

The homicides occurred around midnight in a house just west of Coffee and Floyd avenues, and a pickup truck containing suspects was abandoned dumped off near Floyd and Roselle.

What followed throughout the night was a massive manhunt by police involving numerous agencies and a helicopter in the Village I area.

5:59 A.M. UPDATE: Modesto police are searching in Village I for several suspects believed to be connected to a double homicide.

Sgt. Brian Findlen advised residents in the east Modesto neighbornhood to stay indoors. “Unless otherwise instructed by a police officer, we are asking people to stay in their homes with the doors and windows locked. And if they see or hear anything suspicious, they should immediately call 911.”

The Stanislaus County Office of Emergency Services left recorded phone messages to residents in the area at 5:15 a.m. advising the same thing.

According to reports, a police perimeter surrounds the area from Floyd Avenue and Roselle Avenue to Temescal Drive to Merle Avenue and back to Roselle.

The homicides occurred in a house just west of Coffee and Floyd avenues, and a pickup truck containing suspects was abandoned dumped off near Floyd and Roselle.

Helicopters can still be heard.

Findlen said officers are searching for as many as four suspects, who are considered armed and dangerous.

He said 40 to 50 officers from nearly every law enforcement agency in Stanislaus County and officers from Ripon police are taking part in the manhunt.

Residents may experience delays when leaving for work or school if the suspects remain at large past sunrise. He said all vehicles will be searched as they leave the area.

“We are going to continue searching until we find these individuals,” he said. “We do believe they are in this perimeter. We are in for the long haul.”

Modesto police were preparing to search yard by yard a section of Village I early this morning for suspects in a double homicide at a residence near Coffee Road and Floyd Avenue.

Lt. Gary Watts said two people were shot to death at the residence just after midnight He said police responding to the shooting spotted a pickup truck matching the suspects' vehicle and gave chase.

He said someone in the pickup fired twice at police during the high-speed pursuit. The pickup truck was abandoned near Floyd and Roselle avenues in Village I and several people inside it fled on foot.

One person from the pickup truck was in custody while the others remained at large as of 1 a.m.

Police had set up a perimeter between Floyd and Merle avenues from Temescal Drive on the west to Roselle Avenue on the east.

Watts said no one was being allowed into the area and vehicles leaving the area were being searched.

He said officers were waiting for the SWAT team, which would conduct a yard by yard search for the suspects.

Sgt. Brian Findlen said the double homicide took place in a home in the 2600 block of Maxine Drive. No information on the two victims was available.