Modesto police identify victim in Mellis Park homicide. Suspect still sought

Ricardo Vasques, 24, was the victim of a homicide in Mellis Park on Saturday, the Modesto Police Department announced Sunday.

No further information was released about a suspect in the shooting, which was reported at 11:24 a.m. near the baseball field at the park on Martin Luther King Drive.

When officers arrived, they found Vasques with gunshot wounds, police spokeswoman Heather Graves said. He was transported to a local hospital, where he died.

Investigators believe that Vasques was in a fight with the male suspect, Graves said. The suspect then left in a minivan, returned a short time later and shot the victim before fleeing, she said.

The name of the suspect and the motive are still under investigation.

Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.

This story was originally published December 31, 2017 at 3:34 PM with the headline "Modesto police identify victim in Mellis Park homicide. Suspect still sought."