Two suspects arrested in double homicide investigation in Salinas.

Two men have been arrested on charges of murdering a young Salinas couple who were shot and killed on the night of Saturday, Feb. 5 while they were sitting in a parked car across the street from Closter Park. There has been an outpouring of grief for Karina Chavez Vargas, 23, and her boyfriend, Jesus Arias Villa, 22, who were killed.

The suspects are Gonzalo Echeverria, 24, and Jose Echeverria, 32; they are cousins. 

Announcing the arrests in a press conference on Feb 16, Salinas Police Cmdr. James Arensdorf said there were no witnesses nor a motive. "Investigators have determined that Jesus and Karina were not the intended targets of this senseless act of violence and that it was a case of mistaken identity," according to a Salinas PD statement.

Detectives gathered over 300 gigabytes of surveillance video footage, about 1,000 hours of video, from homes and businesses around the area. Detectives identified a white Nissan Altima that fit the description of a light-colored sedan leaving the scene, and were able to identify the Echeverria cousins.

On Feb. 11, Salinas police served three search warrants and Gonzalo Echeverria was taken to Monterey County jail the same day. Four days later, his cousin Jose Echeverria was arrested as well. 

Arensdorf said the investigation is still ongoing, but added that police don’t believe there are more people involved in this murder.  

Monterey District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni issued a statement condemning the "soft-on-crime attitude by our California executive branch and legislature" for leading to the murder. She noted that Gonzalo Echeverria had two previous convictions, including ​​possessing a loaded firearm for a gang-related purpose and assisting a fellow gang member in escaping from a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation facility. In September of 2019, Gonzalo was sentenced to serve eight years and four months in state prison for two separate gang-related felonies. Under California's Prop. 57,  CDCR considered him for early parole and he was released after serving two years and four months of that sentence, despite opposition from the DA.

“These murders are an example of the soft-on-crime laws that are being passed without thought or consideration for the impact on victims in our communities,” Pacioni said. 

Chavez Vargas worked at Lowe’s and a CSU Monterey Bay student while Arias Villa worked as a caretaker for elderly people. Their families were shocked with their murder because none of them had criminal history. Alma Villa,  Arias Villa’s mom, told the Weekly her son wasn’t involved with gangs or drugs: “That’s what hurt me the most, because he didn’t deserve to die that way.”

“They were a young couple in love with absolutely zero criminal history in Salinas,” Salinas Mayor Kimbley Craig said during the press conference, adding their murder hit home for many in the city. 

Chavez Vargas and Arias Villa were buried on Feb. 15 at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Salinas. On Valentine’s Day, dozens of people showed up to share their support with the families and say goodbye to the young couple at Alta Vista Mortuary. At the entrance was a large cardboard box with several photos of Arias Chavez when he was a child.At the center there were photos of the couple and each was surrounded by a red, ribbon-lined heart.

Inside the visitation room, each wore wedding attire inside a white coffin.

Arias Villa, who wanted to be a professional boxer, also had a pair of black and white boxing gloves. Karina’s Lowe’s red vest with her name tag was framed.  

The Echeverria cousins will each be charged with two attempts of murder and enhancements for using a firearm. Both men are citizens of El Salvador and have been previously deported. They are scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 22.