Homicides in Modesto at their lowest in over two decades. One’s details remain a mystery
Homicides in Modesto are at their lowest rate in over two decades, according to Modesto Police Department data.
MPD investigated seven homicides within its jurisdiction in 2024 — the lowest number since 2002, when there were five. Homicides spiked after 2002 but began to gradually decline after 2015. In 2015, the city was the fifth-most violent in California, with 25 homicides recorded that year.
While the city is seeing record lows for homicides, each one represents a life lost in tragic circumstances. Below are brief summaries of 2024’s homicides, presented in chronological order:
Michelle Gonzalez
Gonzalez was killed by her boyfriend, 33-year-old Ruben Olvera, who stabbed her multiple times before hitting her with his car.
Witnesses reported seeing Gonzalez on foot, screaming near the Sixth Street northbound Highway 99 off-ramp just before 9 p.m. Feb.y 16. Olvera then struck Gonzalez with his car.
He fled but was apprehended by law enforcement the next day in downtown Modesto. Olvera pleaded guilty to murder in November.
Abraham Terrones-Linares
Police responded to a report of a stabbing on the 1300 block of Trenary Way, about a quarter mile west of Orville Wright Elementary School, on June 8 at around 8 p.m.
Upon arrival, officers found two men with stab wounds. It was determined that Terrones-Linares, 27, and Abel Camarillo, 33, stabbed each other during an altercation.
Camarillo’s wounds were not life-threatening, but Terrones-Linares succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital. Camarillo was arrested on suspicion of murder.
Charges were not filed against Camaraillo “because there was substantial evidence that (Camarillo) acted in self-defense,” according to a statement from The Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.
Pamela Elkins-Irons
Elkins-Irons, 55, allegedly was killed by her boyfriend Keith Vennema, 47. She was struck with a brick before being shot in the head during an argument on June 24 on the 500 block of East Roseburg Avenue.
When law enforcement arrived, Vennema was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, domestic violence and weapons-related charges. Most of the weapons charges were dropped when it was confirmed that Vennema had legally purchased his weapons cache.
However, the DA’s Office did charge Vennema with possession of an assault rifle when his charges were upgraded from attempted murder to murder.
Vennema initially was arrested on suspicion of murder, but once Elkins-Irons died from her injuries, his charges were upgraded.
Prosecutor Vida Palazuelos argued that Vennema’s affinity for firearms and history of alleged domestic violence were “a fatal combination.” His case is currently in the early management phase.
Alexander Rodriguez Sr.
MPD officers responded to a domestic violence call on the 500 block of Kimble Street on Aug. 5 and found that 46-year-old Rodriguez Sr., the suspect in the incident, had suffered injuries when a family member intervened. Rodriguez was taken to a hospital, where he died.
MPD described it as “an isolated incident,” stating that all involved parties had been accounted for.
The DA’s Office sent a representative to the scene. That investigator determined the actions of the juvenile family member that led to Rodriguez’s death were justified, according to MPD spokesperson Sharon Bear. The family member was not arrested on suspicion of homicide.
Sierra Morgan and Cole Miller
On Oct. 24, police discovered the bodies of Sierra Morgan, 46, and her son Cole Miller, 17. Both had gunshot wounds. Morgan’s was determined to be self-inflicted.
The bodies were found after a coworker reported that Morgan had failed to show up for work. MPD announced it was investigating the case as a murder-suicide. “Detectives are working to determine what led to this tragic event but do not believe there are any outstanding suspects,” read an MPD release from October.
Morgan previously worked as a registered respiratory therapist at Kaiser Permanente, according to the National Provider Identifier database. Modesto City Schools stated that Miller was not enrolled in the district. A district spokesperson told The Bee that MPD said Miller was home-schooled.
Two California Public Records Act requests submitted by The Bee for police reports and body camera footage from responding officers were denied. MPD still considers the names of the decedents “confidential,” though The Bee obtained this information through the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office. MPD has not released any additional details about this case.
Akeem El-Haji
El-Haji, 34, died after being stabbed multiple times near Ninth and D Streets on Dec. 8.
Anahys Capetillo-Chable, Julio Martinez, and Cristofer Vasquez-Villanueva were arrested on suspicion of murder a few days later. According to a news release, investigators determined that “a male subject acquainted with Akeem” informed family members that El-Haji had previously assaulted him. Police say this prompted the family members to travel to Modesto and attack him.
This story was originally published February 4, 2025 at 1:43 PM.
