Update: 3 injured in home-invasion robbery north of Modesto. Large amount of pot found
Three people were being treated at local hospitals Sunday afternoon following a home-invasion robbery in the morning just north of Modesto. At least one of the people suffered a gunshot wound, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department reported.
The incident occurred about 10:30 a.m. in the area of Roselle Avenue north of Sylvan Avenue near the Bel Passi Baseball complex, Sgt. Luke Schwartz said. A manhunt for a suspect — described as a heavyset white male with tattoos, shirtless and wearing brown pants — continued well into the afternoon.
For hours, a perimeter was set up encompassing Roselle/Sylvan, Sylvan/Claus Road, and Terminal Avenue/Claribel Road, Schwartz said. A California Highway Patrol vehicle also blocked the entrance to the Mary Grogan Park soccer complex off Sylvan.
About 3:20 p.m., the Sheriff’s Department posted an update on Facebook that the area had been reopened to vehicle and pedestrian traffic. It said the department’s Crimes Against Persons detectives assumed control of the investigation and were relieving patrol personnel and tactical teams.
According to the post, a large amount of processed marijuana was located at the crime scene. “We’re still piecing everything together,” Schwartz said in a text to The Bee about 3:30 p.m. “When you deal with a marijuana-related case of this nature, you don’t immediately get a full understanding of all the facts and circumstances. More will be learned through interviews, evidence retrieval and processing the whole crime scene.”
Earlier reports from the Sheriff’s Department said one person was shot and another suffered a wound other than a gunshot. The 3:20 update post was the first to mention a third person, and it was not clear who that person was and what injury he or she suffered.
“Ascertaining who is a suspect and who is a victim will take some time,” Schwartz said. He did not say if that person was the subject of the manhunt, but he did say he believed the perimeter had been taken down.
People who lived in the area been asked to shelter in place. A SWAT team was activated and a helicopter was overhead looking for the suspect.
Anyone with information on the crime is urged to call Detective Esquivez at 209-525-7114 or Stanislaus Area Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636. Callers 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 November 1, 2020 at 11:46 AM.
