On October 13, 2024, at about 12:30 a.m., officers found 39-year-old Cipriano Cervantes Casas Jr. unresponsive near a canal by the former Walmart at 1670 Mitchell Road in Ceres, California. Casas had sustained a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene; the Stanislaus County Coroner’s Office lists him as transient who previously lived in Modesto.

Minutes later, at roughly 12:35 a.m., a separate shooting about a mile away near Hatch Road and Faith Home Road left a 53-year-old transient with minor injuries. The close timing and locations raise the possibility of a connection, but investigators have not confirmed any link.

Police identified a person of interest described as a Hispanic male, about 5 feet 7 inches, stocky, dark hair, wearing dark clothing, and asked residents and businesses in northeastern Ceres to review surveillance from the evening of October 12 to early October 13. No arrests have been made; anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Berlier at (209) 538-5616 or submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers.

If anyone knew Casas or saw the area that night, can you help investigators by sharing what you remember?