On May 1, 2024, 32-year-old Jingwei ’Melanie’ Zhang and 38-year-old Dorothy Mak were fatally shot in their shared residence on Dermody Avenue in San Lorenzo, California. Their bodies were found on May 4 after family members who had been unable to reach them since April 30 asked the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office for a welfare check.

A primary suspect in the killings, 31-year-old Howard Reed, also lived at the Dermody Avenue address. After the victims were discovered, an alert was issued for Reed and his vehicle; he was located and arrested in Kansas following a license plate reader hit, then extradited to California and booked into Santa Rita Jail. The Alameda County District Attorney charged Reed with two counts of murder with special circumstances.

Authorities have described the investigation as active and have not publicly released a motive. If anyone knew Zhang or has information about her last days in San Lorenzo, please share what you know with investigators.