Jury finds Turlock man guilty of murder in gang-related stabbing death
A 32-year-old man from Turlock was found guilty of murder and related charges in the stabbing death of David Mendoza following a three-week trial, according to the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.
A court trial is scheduled for January to address allegations that the defendant Manuel Junior Maldonado has a prior violent strike conviction and that the murder was committed to benefit the Norteño criminal street gang.
On Sep. 9, 2022, Turlock Police Department officers responded to reports of a victim with multiple stab wounds at the intersection of Lander and Burnell avenues. Upon arrival, officers discovered Mendoza unresponsive and bleeding from chest injuries in the street. He was transported to Emmanuel Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
During the investigation, camera footage and eyewitness testimony revealed that Maldonado and two other gang members spotted the victim and mistakenly believed he was a rival gang member. The suspects then attacked the victim, and during the assault, while Maldonado stood by, the victim was repeatedly stabbed.
Following the attack, Maldonado announced to onlookers that the area belonged to the Norteño gang, according to the DA’s office.
Within hours of the murder, officers apprehended Maldonado. During an interview, he admitted that he and his accomplices were active gang members and that the assault was gang-related.
