Parents say Turlock shooting victim was ‘good kid,’ single father

A Turlock man shot to death Saturday night at an apartment complex next to Donnelly Park was a doting single father, his mother said.

Turlock police responded to the shooting at the Villas Parkside apartments in the 300 block of W. Hawkeye Avenue at 9:45 p.m.

Officers found 37-year-old Falane Jones on the ground next to a car in the parking lot, said Capt. Nino Amirfar.

Jones’ father, Jay Jay Woody, said Jones had just arrived at the complex with his uncle, and that they were going to see another relative.

He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital but died later that evening.

Jones was the single father of 9-year-old Falanie, named after him. His mother, Teresa Woody, said he’d drop his daughter off at their home every morning so she could take the girl to school while he went to work at a warehouse in Tracy that ships medical supplies.

“When he picked her up, he’d always ask her if her homework was done,” Teresa Woody said. Jones would take her home and cook her dinner, often calling his mom for advice on recipes.

“He stayed out of trouble because he always thought about his daughter first because (she) was his life,” Teresa Woody said. “He hung around positive people; he didn’t hang around thugs or knuckleheads or drug dealers. He was a really good kid, and people respected him.”

Neither of Jones’ parents would discuss a potential motive or say more about the shooting, instead deferring to the police. The police would not release any other details or say whether a suspect has been identified. Officials did say the firearm used has not been recovered.

“The person who did this took something dear from us,” Teresa Woody said. “We loved him so much.”

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to call Detective Tim Redd at 209-664-7325.

The Turlock Police Department is an active participant in the Crime Stoppers program. Callers can leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636 and are eligible for a cash reward.

This story was originally published April 25, 2016 at 12:30 PM with the headline "Parents say Turlock shooting victim was ‘good kid,’ single father."