Man Who Recently Shot Two People In Salinas Also A Suspect in 2017 Cold Case Murder
Photo: Andrew Alvarado
SALINAS – On Saturday July 13th a man shot two people at 807 Elkington Street, using a fully automatic .40 caliber handgun. Although both victims suffered multiple gunshot injuries, they were listed in stable condition.
Review of surveillance video helped police identify the suspect’s vehicle as a white cargo van. This then helped investigators later identify the suspect as 28-year-old gang member Andrew Alvarado.
In addition, Alvarado was also identified as a suspect in a murder on 2017 that had become a cold case. According the the SPD, “At the time of the Elkington shooting, investigative leads were being finalized resulting in sufficient probable cause to arrest Alvarado.”
On the evening of July 16 the SPD SWAT team served a search warrant on a residence in the 1300 block of Las Cruces Court. A 37-minutes standoff ensued, until Alvarado came out of the home and was arrested.
Law enforcement found three firearms, illegal gun magazines, ammunition and gang indicia inside. Alvarado was booked for the 2017 murder and attempted murder. The SPD reports that “the charges related to the Elkington shooting, the gun possession and gang enhancements will follow shortly.”
On September 10, 2017 two men were working on a vehicle in the driveway at a house at 255 E. Bolivar Street. Two other men came upon them and shot them multiple times. 49-year-old Michael Rocha died and the 29-year-old “survived with permanent injuries.” Alvarado had, after an investigation, been named as one of the shooters.
The SPD ends saying, “Detectives believe Andrew Alvarado carried out heinous and cowardly attacks on unsuspecting victims, and he may have been involved in other violent crimes. The 2017 murder and this weekend’s attempted murder are still under investigation.”
