Update: Stanislaus sheriff’s deputies ask public’s help to learn more about murder victim
.jpeg "Homicide victim Stephanie Fagundes of Stockton")
Deputies with the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office are seeking the public’s help in their investigation of the homicide of a woman whose burned, dismembered remains were found on a residential property in Modesto last fall.
Earlier this month, the partial remains were identified as those of Stockton resident Stephanie Fagundes, 25, whose family reported her missing shortly after last talking with her in October.
Among the dots investigators are trying to connect is what if any relationship Fagundes had to the man accused of killing her, 41-year-old Modesto resident Albert Gonzalez, said Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Sgt. Veronica Esquivez.
The Sheriff’s Office is trying to find anyone who knows or recognizes the victim and may have information on what happened to her between the time she was last seen Oct. 26 and when her remains were found weeks later, the sergeant said.
On Nov. 18, the sheriff’s SWAT team served an arrest warrant for Gonzalez, who was wanted for assault with a deadly weapon. During the investigation, deputies learned there were possible human remains at the property and were granted a search warrant, according to a post on the SO’s Facebook page.
The case that brought SWAT to Gonzalez’s home involved the shooting of another woman, Esquivez said. That assault and Fagundes’ homicide do not appear connected, the sergeant said.
Gonzalez is being held without bail on charges of homicide; assault with a machine gun, or an assault weapon, or a .50 BMG rifle; and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to booking information.
“We don’t know if a firearm was involved in Stephanie Fagundes’ death because of the condition of her body,” Esquivez said.
As to why deputies believed there to be remains on Gonzalez’s property, the sergeant said, “There had been prior reports of people saying there’s something going on in this guy’s backyard. ...” There were anonymous tips that there was a body there, she said.
An anthropology team from California State University, Chico, assisted with the collection and examination of the remains.
The Sheriff’s Office’s Major Crimes Unit continues to investigate this case. Anyone with information to share is urged to contact Detective Wyatt at 209-525-7091. Tipsters choosing to remain anonymous can contact Stanislaus Area Crime Stoppers at 1-866-602-7463.
This story was originally published April 25, 2023 at 4:52 PM.
