Two arrested in Friday night homicide in Modesto

One block from the location where 39-year-old Kalpesh Patel was shot the night of Jan. 27, Modesto Police Department homicide detectives Wednesday morning searched the home of one of the men suspected in his death.

Detectives had arrested Jose Lopez, 26, about 11 hours prior during a traffic stop in downtown Modesto. From Lopez’s home on Ortega Drive, one can see the memorial of balloons, candles and flowers erected for Patel on the sidewalk where he was found bleeding on the ground.

Lopez’s co-defendant, 21-year-old Salvador Junior Gallegos, was arrested Monday at a home at which he’d been staying on Chester Drive in Modesto.

Both men appeared in Stanislaus Superior Court on Wednesday afternoon on charges of murder and conspiracy. Their arraignment was continued to Feb. 9, giving defense attorneys time to determine if they have a conflict of interest.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636.

This story was originally published February 1, 2017 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Two arrested in Friday night homicide in Modesto."