KING CITY — King City Police Department has named a person of interest in the Dec. 1 shooting that killed a man on Willow Street.
Through the ongoing investigation, local detectives were able to identify Israel Martinez, a 20-year-old resident of King City, as someone connected with the case.
On Dec. 13, KCPD officers and various agencies served multiple search warrants involving five residences in King City. Martinez was “not at his residence when the search warrant was served and his whereabouts are currently unknown,” police said.
Martinez is considered armed and dangerous, according to KCPD.
“KCPD has an active warrant for his arrest for the homicide and are working with allied partners to locate him,” police said. “KCPD is also asking for the community’s help. If you know his whereabouts, or have any other information related to this case, please call the King City Police Department.”
Martinez is described as a Hispanic male adult, with brown hair and brown eyes, 5’4” and 140 lbs. He has several tattoos, including three dots on his right cheek below his eye and one dot on his left cheek below his eye. He also has the words “Blue Devil” on his left hand and a crown tattooed on his left arm.
Also, through investigation, detectives developed an additional person of interest in this case, though that person has not yet been identified.
“Detectives have been unable to confirm the identity of this person as of yet and are asking for the public’s help,” police said. “Somebody out there knows who he is.”
In addition, detectives were able to identify two people who assisted the suspects after the homicide was committed. Both of these individuals — Eliseo Gutierrez, 22, and Juan Javier Perez, 24, both residents of King City — were contacted during the search warrants and were arrested and booked into Monterey County Jail for accessory after-the-fact to murder.
On Dec. 1, at about 1:46 p.m., King City officers were dispatched to the 800 block of Willow Street on a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, they found a male victim — later identified as 31-year-old Gabriel Hernandez of King City — in a vehicle suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two days later, on Dec. 3, police announced that a silver Honda believed to be involved in the homicide was recovered in King City. The vehicle was reported stolen out of the San Francisco Bay Area on Nov. 25.
The vehicle, currently in the custody of KCPD, is being processed for evidence.
Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Martinez, the identity of the other person of interest or any information on either case is encouraged to contact KCPD at 831-385-484, Detective Sgt. Partida at 831-286-5988 or jp******@ki******.com or Detective Gurley at 831-386-5978 or dg*****@ki******.com. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call the WeTip line at 1-800-78-CRIME.
