Major update in Stockton serial killer case as police link California murders using clues found on the scene

A MAJOR update in a possible serial killer case has been announced after police linked the murders using clues found at the crime scenes.

New video of a person of interest has been released after Stockton, California Police Chief Stanley McFadden said that six recent killings and one attempted murder meet the definition of a serial killer.

Authorities said in a press conference on Tuesday that the cases were interconnected with ballistics evidence found at the scene of the murders.

While releasing the new video, the police chief asked the public to note the way the person walks, their posture, and their stride.

A timeline of the murders has also been revealed.

There were six days between the first two incidents and then more than a year until the third crime, said McFadden.

After that, the time between the other attacks ranged between six to 20 days.

Police said that a woman survived an attack in April of last year. She described the suspect as being five-foot-10-inches to six-feet tall and wearing a “Covid” type black mask.

The woman said that the suspect said nothing to her before shooting at her.

At the press conference, a video of a person of interest was shown to the press with officials saying to make note of the way the person walks and “their stride.”

Cops previously released a grainy image of a person of interest in the case.

“This is very concerning,” said Mayor Kevin Lincoln II. “We don’t know if there’s one individual or a series of individuals that are responsible for these homicides.”

Police said in their Tuesday update that the person of interest has been photographed and filmed by security cameras on “more than one occasion.”

There is now a reward of more than $125,000 for information leading to an arrest after the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms donated $25,000 to the fund.

KILLER’S VICTIMS

Paul Alexander Yaw’s body was found at a park in Stockton on July 8.

His mother, Greta Bogrow, 60 told NBC that she had been estranged from her son, who had been homeless for several years.

“I have always hoped in my heart that at some point we would get reunited and have a relationship,” she said.

“It’s always a mom’s dream that their children turn out to be good people. He was a good person. I just wish I had the opportunity to speak to him again in this life.”

Bogrow hopes her son’s killer is brought to justice.

“I hope that all of this publicity brings this person in to get some kind of justice for what he has done to my son and all the other victims and their families,” she said.

“I just hope it gets him off the street and stops him from doing this to anybody else.”

Lawrence ‘Lorenzo’ Lopez, was the father of six children ages 16 to 38, according to his brother Jerry, 53.

Lorenzo had worked as an independent contractor but had become homeless due to financial circumstances.

Jerry said that many people offered his brother a place to stay, but Lorenzo turned them down because he didn’t want to “burden” people.

“He’d rather be taking care of himself than have other people take care of him,” said Jerry.

The brothers have lived in Stockton since they were in elementary school, he added.

“No city should have to deal with this,” Jerry Lopez said. “This thing needs to end. It’s scary for our city.”

Salvador Debudey Jr’s wife was devastated to learn of his death.

“To be honest with you, a part of me died with him that day,” said Analydia Lopez. “It’s been hard. It’s been really, really hard.”

Debudey, a father, met his wife when they were in high school, but they reconnected later on and were married for 12 years before his death in August.

Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, was found shot and killed in his vehicle on August 30.

INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED

Police have assembled a team of detectives, task force officers, camera room operators, and crime analysts to solve the crime.

All of the victims were identified as Hispanic men and the police chief said on Tuesday that it’s “possible” the killer is targeting Hispanic males.

According to Newsweek, McFadden elaborated further on the chilling overlaps between the cases, saying: "We do see some similarity where it's really areas of darkness.

"It's really areas where the person is by themselves, maybe not even knowing it's coming, and that's kind of what [we're] looking into in some of the most recent ones.

"People are by themselves, they don't have that situational awareness that we would like for folks to have."

None of the victims were robbed, and all the crimes occurred when the victims were alone in areas that lacked security cameras.

'HAVEN'T RULED ANYTHING OUT'

But he also noted that they "haven't ruled anything out."

He also warned the public to avoid traveling alone in the dark and journeying through isolated places.

"I know that's put a lot of folks on edge, hearing that out there," McFadden said.

"We are seeing some patterns and similarities in some of our more recent homicides where we're taking a closer look at."