Jury continues deliberations in fatal Modesto attack

A jury on Thursday will begin its sixth day of deliberations in a trial for six defendants accused of murder in the death of a 20-year-old man stabbed and shot in a north Modesto attack.

The prosecution says Erick Gomez was targeted by Sureño gang members seeking vengeance and hunting down rival Norteño gang members Feb. 14, 2013.

The defense says Gomez was shot by a gunman who remains a fugitive and stabbed by a co-defendant who became a key prosecution witness. The defense attorneys also say their clients are not responsible for Gomez’s death.

Gomez was stabbed and shot several times in the 2400 block of Vera Cruz Drive, east of Coffee Road. While authorities have said Gomez was a Norteño, there’s been no indication he was involved in an earlier assault on Sureños.

The jury of four women and eight men began deliberations about 2:40 p.m. Jan. 9 and continued for another five days without reaching a unanimous verdict.

This story was originally published January 21, 2015 at 5:30 PM with the headline "Jury continues deliberations in fatal Modesto attack."