A Morgan Hill man is among two arrested by Watsonville Police on April 12 for the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old on April 2.
Erick DeHaro and Matthew Madriz, both 18, were charged with first-degree murder. They were booked into Santa Cruz County Jail without bail.
According to Watsonville Police Department spokesperson Michelle Pulido, officers served a search warrant at a home on the 700 block of Lincoln Street, where DeHaro attempted to flee. He was detained after a short chase.
Madriz was arrested at his home on the 10000 block of Dougherty Avenue in Morgan Hill.
DeHaro and Madriz are suspected of confronting and fatally shooting Feliciano Martinez Parea in the courtyard of an apartment complex on the 100 block of Riverside Drive.Â
The arrests came after more than 200 people rallied in the Watsonville City Plaza on April 10 calling for justice for Martinez Parea.
Pulido said that several law enforcement agencies assisted WPD in the investigation. That included the sheriff’s offices of Santa Cruz County and Santa Clara County, Santa Cruz Police Department, Santa Cruz County’s Anti-Crime Team and Santa Cruz Auto Theft Reduction Enforcement Team, as well as police from San Jose and Campbell.
Pulido said police believe DeHaro and Madriz followed Martinez Perea through the courtyard of the apartment complex and confronted him before a brief fight broke out and the suspected gunmen opened fire. In video surveillance footage released by the WPD, one of the suspected shooters is seen walking toward Martinez Perea, who is walking backward with his hands up. The other suspected shooter, meanwhile, is seen trying to get between Martinez Perea and the first suspect before the video cuts out.
