Police Sketches Lead to Arrests of 2 Suspects in Cold Murder Case
Photo: Andrew Cordova (l) and Michael Collins
SAN PABLO — Authorities closing in on a cold murder case released police sketches leading to the arrests of two men three days later. Both suspects were apprehended nearly four years after a man was murdered.
The case concerns the murder of 31-year-old Deon Lee Ward, who died of multiple gunshot wounds. Ward was fatally shot during the early morning hours of October 4, 2015.
Ward’s body was found lying in a pool of blood, shortly after police responded to a call at 6:30 a.m. Ward was pronounced dead at the scene, near apartment buildings located on the 2100 block of Stanton Avenue.
The case went cold for a while. But in August authorities issued a call for help from the public to solve this crime. Then police released sketches of the suspects on September 9.
These sketches enabled authorities to identify two suspects in connection with the murder. This ultimately led authorities to obtain warrants to search two residences and finally arrest two men on September 12.
Warrants were served in Hercules, where Andrew J. Cordova, 30, was apprehended. Cordova remains in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility. He is charged with murder in the first degree.
Cordova is a suspected gang member who was previously convicted for robbery and on probation, which has been revoked.
Additional warrants were served in Rodeo, where Michael J. Collins, 23, was taken into custody. He is also being housed at the Martinez Detention Facility. Likewise, Collins is charged with murder in the first degree.
