On April 16, 2024, around 6:58 p.m., Turlock police responded to a shooting in the 700 block of Wayside Drive. Two males were shot; one sustained multiple gunshot wounds to an arm and was taken to a Modesto hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Nineteen-year-old Amado Dominic Escobedo III of Ceres was found lying in the roadway and was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts.

Investigators say the individuals were acquainted and the shooting followed a brief altercation. A 17-year-old male from Turlock was identified as the suspect; detectives located him at the Stanislaus County Juvenile Detention Center on April 22, where he was already held on an unrelated matter. The juvenile was rebooked on charges of murder and attempted murder, and a search warrant at a Pioneer Avenue residence led to additional evidence being seized. Authorities have not disclosed a motive or the exact nature of the relationship between Escobedo and the suspect.

Escobedo was remembered by family and friends as bright, caring, and loving, and as a devoted father to his daughter, Saige Valerie Escobedo. A memorial service was held on May 7, 2024. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Blanc at 209-668-6540.