Suspected gunman in 2013 Modesto gang-related killing arrested in Mexico
Nine people were indicted in a deadly attack on a Modesto man in 2013. Eight of them have been convicted.
But the man suspected of shooting 20-year-old Erik Gomez in the heart as Gomez walked with his pregnant girlfriend on Valentine’s Day remained on the run for seven years.
That ended Thursday, when Giovani Barocio, 28, of Modesto was captured in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Sharon Bear said she did not know if Barocio was arrested by Mexican authorities, but she said detectives here received assistance from the FBI in bringing Barocio back to Stanislaus County.
He was booked Thursday night on charges of murder, conspiracy and committing the crime for the benefit of a gang.
Authorities say Barocio was among nine Sureño gang members hunting down rival Norteño gang members on Feb. 14, 2013, when they came across Gomez in the 2400 block of Vera Cruz Drive in northeast Modesto.
The group was seeking vengeance for an attack on one of the defendants earlier in the day. Gomez was a Norteño gang member but there was no indication he was involved in the earlier attack.
During a trial in 2015, the prosecutor at the time argued that multiple people stabbed Gomez in the back and Barocio shot him in the heart.
A trial in 2015 for six of the defendants ended in a hung jury. All of the defendants eventually took plea deals.
The other eight defendants all were convicted of charges ranging from second-degree murder to voluntary manslaughter to accessory. Their prison sentences ranged from five to 21 years and some have already been released.
An arraignment for Barocio had not been scheduled as of Friday afternoon. He is being held on $2 million bail.
This story was originally published July 17, 2020 at 3:34 PM.
