2 more victims in Stockton serial killings identified by medical examiner’s office

>> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. WE ARE LEARNING MORE NAMES OF THE VICTIMS IN A SERIES OF STOCKTON MURDERS THAT POLICE BELIEVE ARE CONNECTED. THE SAN JOAQUIN MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICE IDENTIFIED 21-YEAR-OLD JONATHAN RODRIGUEZ AND 52-YEAR-OLD JUAN CRUZ. >> THEY ARE AMONG FIVE MEN WHO POLICE SAY EACH WERE SHOT TO DEATH WHILE THEY WERE ALONE IN POORLY LIT AREAS AFTER DARK. KCRA 3’S LYSEE MITRI JOINS US NOW WITH MORE DETAILS. LYSEE? >> STOCKTON POLICE HAVE DESCRIBED THESE MURDERS SAYING THE MEN WERE LONE VICTIMS, CAUGHT BY SURPRISE. AND IN ONE CASE, NEIGHBORS TOLD US TODAY THE MAN WAS JUST WALKING TO HIS TRUCK TO LEAVE FOR WORK IN THE MORNING. >> IT’S JUST SCARY. PERIOD. I CAN’T PUT NOTHING ON IT LIKE THAT. IT’S JUST SPOOKY AND SCARY. >> SOME PEOPLE IN STOCKTON ARE ON EDGE AFTER LEARNING POLICE BELIEVE 5 UNSOLVED MURDERS, ARE ALL CONNECTED. IN EACH CASE, LONE VICTIMS WERE CAUGHT BY SURPRISE IN THE DARK, AND SHOT TO DEATH. >> YEAH, I WAS HOME. EVERYBODY HEARD THE SHOTS. >> SHE DIDN’T WANT TO GIVE HER NAME BUT THIS WOMAN LIVES NEAR WEST MARCH LANE AND NORTH PERSHING AVENUE. IT WAS HERE THAT 52-YEAR-OLD JUAN CRUZ WAS KILLED NEARLY TWO WEEKS AGO, JUST BEFORE 4:30 IN THE MORNING. POLICE SAY HE WAS WALKING TO HIS TRUCK. >> JUST ANOTHER LIFE GONE AND THE MAN WAS ON HIS WAY TO WORK. THAT SCARES ME. THAT PART SCARES ME. ON HIS WAY TO WORK. >> ONE MONTH EARLIER ON AUGUST 30 AT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX ABOUT 3.5 MILES AWAY OFF EAST HAMMER LANE NEAR WEST LANE OFFICIALS SAY 21-YEAR-OLD JONATHAN HERNANDEZ RODRIGUEZ WAS SHOT WHILE PARKED IN HIS CAR AT ABOUT 6:40 IN THE MORNING. POLICE SAY ALL THE KILLINGS THAT MAY BE LINKED, STARTED BACK IN JULY. >> THE SHOCKING PART OF IT WAS LIKE I SAID, HOW LONG IT TOOK FOR THEM TO TELL US THAT THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING. >> POLICE ANNOUNCED THE SUSPECTED CONNECTION LAST WEEK SAYING IN EACH CASE, THE MAN KILLED WAS BY HIMSELF IN A POORLY LIT AREA. SOME NEIGHBORS WONDER IF CRUZ WOULD HAVE DIED IF THAT WARNING HAD COME SOONER. >> HAD HE HAD THE INFORMATION, HE COULD HAVE WENT TO HIS VEHICLE MORE CAUTIOUS, MORE PREPARED. READY TO RUN, FLEE DO WHATEVER HE WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN CAUGHT OFF SURPRISE SO I’M REALLY ANGRY ABOUT THAT. >> STOCKTON POLICE SAY IT TOOK TIME TO GET BACK EVIDENCE REPORTS AND TO GO THROUGH HOURS OF SURVEILLANCE VIDEO THAT THEY ARE STILL REVIEWING AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ALERTED THEM TO THE POSSIBLE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CASES. THEY SAY AS SOON AS THEY MADE THAT CONNECTION, THEY NOTIFIED THE PUBLIC. LIVE IN STOCKTON, LYSEE MITRI, KCRA 3 NEWS. >> THANK YOU, LYSEE. STOCKTON POLICE SAY THE REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO AN ARREST IS NOW AT $95,000. STOCKTON POLICE SAY THE OWNER OF A LOCAL CONSTRUCTION PUT UP AN ADDITIONAL $10,000. THAT’S BUSINESS OWNER IS STAYING ANONYMOUS. THE STOCKTON POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS SET UP A TIP LINE FOR ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THESE KILLINGS. THAT NUMBER IS ON YOUR SCREEN. 209-937-8167. YOU CAN ALSO E-MAIL INFORMATION TO POLICETIPS@STOCKTONCA.GOV