Arrests made in 1993 killing of Modesto native Zachary Jackson in Hayward
More than 30 years after Modesto native Zachary Jackson was found shot to death inside his home in unincorporated Hayward, investigators say two arrests have finally been made in his killing.
At a news conference Monday, Alameda County Sheriff Yesenia Sanchez said 54-year-old Veronica Fonseca, Jackson’s former partner and the mother of his two children, and 56-year-old Anthony Fox, her boyfriend at the time, were arrested last week on suspicion of murder.
Fonseca was taken into custody Nov. 6 by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force in Queens, New York, while Fox was arrested hours later by Sioux City police in Iowa, authorities said. Both remain in custody in those states awaiting extradition to California.
“While this arrest is an important step forward, our work does not end here,” Sanchez said. “This achievement would not be possible without the outstanding collaboration between us and our law enforcement partners across the nation.”
Jackson, 30, grew up in Modesto before moving to the Bay Area. On June 17, 1993, relatives discovered him shot to death inside his Hayward home after not hearing from him for several days. Investigators determined he was killed three days earlier.
Detectives at the time found Jackson had been in a dispute with his landlord, but no suspect was identified. The case went cold for decades.
That changed in 2014, when the Alameda County Sheriff’s Cold Case Unit received a tip naming Fonseca and Fox as possible suspects. A second anonymous tip came in 2021, and this year, a new series of witnesses contacted investigators — all pointing to the same two people, Detective Patrick Smith said.
“This is a good example of what happens when good people have the courage to come forward,” Smith said. “There is no statute of limitations on murder. Keep looking over your shoulder, because you never know when the long arm of the law is going to reach out and touch you.”
Over the past several months, detectives worked with agencies in multiple states, including the California Department of Justice, the FBI’s Oakland field office, and police departments in New Orleans, Sioux City and New York.
Smith said new interviews with witnesses, combined with corroborating information gathered across states, helped investigators secure arrest warrants in October.
Alameda County District Attorney Ursula Jones Dickson said both suspects are charged with murder and burglary, along with a firearm enhancement, which was the applicable law in 1993.
“This really is a story of collaboration,” Jones Dickson said. “Victims and their families deserve closure, no matter how long it takes. If you’ve committed the crime of murder, we’re coming for you.”
Prosecutors said both Fonseca and Fox were present when Jackson was killed and that Fox is believed to have pulled the trigger.
Jackson left behind two young children — a four-year-old daughter in his care and a one-year-old son living with Fonseca at the time.
Authorities credited community tips for reviving the investigation after three decades.
Tips can be directed to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Cold Case Unit at 510-667-7538, the tip line at 510-667-3636, or anonymously at Alamedasheriff.org under the “Community” tab.
