Police seek gunman in Modesto shooting that killed woman, 37; neighbor describes scene
A 37-year-old woman was fatally shot while sitting in a car outside a home in north Modesto early Monday.
Shortly after midnight, officers responded to reports of the shooting in the 4000 block of Blue Bird Drive, which is west of Dale Road and just north of Snyder Avenue.. Residents outside the home where the woman was killed told The Bee the victim was staying in their home at the time but also lived with her mother on Snyder. The Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office had not released the victim’s name as of midmorning Monday, but her friends identified her as Gabrielle Perez.
Amber Lynn Hardin said she was told by the man who was sitting in the car with Perez on Blue Bird at Silo Way that they were talking when they saw a man walking nearby. They were discussing whether they recognized him, Hardin said, and “the next thing they knew,” he was shooting at them.
The victim’s male friend told Hardin and her mother, Deanna Renfro, that the gunman fired about nine shots, and one of them struck Perez in the head.
“Once the shooting stops, he ran into the garage and into my backyard,” Renfro said. “And I heard the pops and I looked out my window and I saw a guy with shoulder-length hair walking that way,” she said, gesturing south toward Snyder.
Renfro spoke with Perez’s friend, who was at this point out of the car and said somebody had been shooting at them. He said Perez still was in the car.
“So I went over to the driver side and opened up the door. I was thinking that maybe she was just hiding down in case he was shooting more.” Perez was slumped over, and when Renfro moved her, she saw the wound to her head.
“And that’s why I ran in the house screaming at my parents to call the cops, and I found my keys,” Renfro said. “And I went that way to see if I could see where the guy was walking to. But I was also headed down Snyder to Gaby’s mom’s house to wake her up and bring her down here so that she could be down here with the daughter.”
Police Department spokeswoman Sharon Bear said Perez was taken by ambulance to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Detectives with MPD’s Violent Crimes Unit have taken over the investigation and are asking for witnesses or anyone with information regarding the suspect to contact Detective Sean Martin at 209-342-6116. Tips also may be made to Stanislaus Area Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Tips also can be submitted via www.stancrimetips.org.
This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 8:04 AM.
