Police make arrest in Modesto homicide

One man has been arrested and two others are sought in connection with a homicide Sunday afternoon in Modesto, police reported Monday.

Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputies responded to a call about 4:50 p.m. Sunday of a body in the Tuolumne River near the Seventh Street Bridge. They arrived to find a man’s body on the embankment, said Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Heather Graves. Because the body was found in Modesto’s jurisdiction, police are conducting the investigation.

The victim, 45-year-old Danny Wallace Jr. of Modesto, reportedly had been in an altercation with several other males on the embankment on the north side of the river, Graves said.

One of the men, 29-year-old Daniel Ray Gassett of Modesto, was found walking in an alley near Sixth Street several hours after the homicide, Graves said. He was booked into the Stanislaus County jail on suspicion of murder; bail was set at $1 million. Detectives are pursuing leads regarding two other suspects, Graves said; they believe the suspects knew Wallace, but the motive for the attack remains under investigation.

The cause of death is pending the Stanislaus County coroner’s report.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636. Callers may remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Tipsters also may text information to Crime Stoppers at 274637. Type “TIP704” along with the message.

This story was originally published June 22, 2015 at 11:41 AM with the headline "Police make arrest in Modesto homicide."