SALINAS — Police are still investigating a shooting that occurred on the 700 block of Mae Avenue. The victim, who was shot multiple times with one striking his head, died of his injuries on Sunday, January 22.
That previous Friday at around 12:50 PM, police were notified by the local ShotSpotter system that multiple shots had been fired in the area of Mae Avenue. As police were en route, dispatch informed them that someone had called to report that there’d been a victim.
Upon arrival, officers discovered 15-year-old Jesus Silva Hernandez gunned down. He was transported to Natividad Medical Center for treatment, but ultimately passed away.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Hernandez spent a fair amount of time in the area to use a Wi-Fi signal coming from a nearby location. At the time of the shooting, he was on the phone when he was approached by a man in dark clothing who drew a gun and opened fire. Police say the suspect then immediately jumped into a waiting black 4-door sedan last seen heading westbound on Del Monte.
Hernandez was local to Salinas and has no known history with police. While the motive behind the shooting is unknown, the case is being investigated as gang-related as it is believed the suspects are affiliated with local gangs.
This marks the city’s sixth homicide of 2017.
