26/09/2025
Ceres, Calif. – On September 25, 2025, at approximately 10:48 a.m., Ceres Police Department officers were dispatched to the Howard Johnson Inn, located at 1672 Herndon Road in Ceres, to investigate a report of suspicious circumstances. An employee reported finding an unresponsive male inside one of the motel rooms and advised responding officers that a handgun was also present in the room.
Upon arrival, officers located an adult male inside the motel room who had sustained a single gunshot wound. Modesto Fire Department personnel responded and confirmed the male was deceased.
While investigating this incident, other Ceres Police officers were conducting follow-up on an earlier reported domestic violence case in the area of Mitchell Road and Finch Road in Modesto. During that investigation, a female flagged down fire personnel and identified herself as a victim of domestic abuse, stating the abuse may have occurred at a motel in Ceres. When officers contacted the female and asked whether the two incidents could be related, she fled the scene in a vehicle with her unrestrained juvenile child inside.
Officers initiated a vehicle pursuit, which was later terminated for safety reasons as the vehicle entered the City of Ceres. The female continued driving recklessly and ultimately struck a cement curb on Mitchell Road near Hatch Road. The vehicle became inoperable, and the female pulled into the Food 4 Less parking lot where she was taken into custody without further incident. Neither the female nor the juvenile sustained injuries during the collision.
During the investigation, officers determined the vehicle involved in the pursuit was registered to the deceased male located at the Howard Johnson Inn. Items found inside the vehicle further confirmed it belonged to the victim. The female and the juvenile were transported to the Ceres Police Department for further investigation.
During an interview with detectives, the female admitted to being in a dating relationship with the victim for approximately 18 years. She confessed to shooting the victim in the motel room.
The female was arrested on charges of murder, felony evasion, and two counts of child endangerment. The juvenile was placed into the custody of Child Protective Services. The names of the involved parties are not being released at this time.
This investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact Sgt. Berber at (209) 538-5672.
