Two suspects named in wave of violent crime in Seaside four years ago.

In early 2014, a series of deadly shootings and a gruesome stabbing struck fear into Monterey Peninsula residents.

Law enforcement officials suspected the crime wave was the result of feuding between two gangs, the Nortenos and the Crips, and now they say they have evidence that two Norteno gang members are behind some of the mayhem that took place in Seaside that year.

Members of the Peninsula Regional Violence and Narcotics Team, PRVNT, as part of the Peninsula Cold Case Project, announced Oct. 2 in a press conference at the Monterey Police Department that they are asking the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office to file charges against two men, Pedro Pinedo and Martin Trinidad.

Pinedo is suspected in the April 2014 shooting death of 35-year-old Khalik Kennedy, who was walking to his car near San Pablo Avenue and Shawnee Court in Seaside when he was struck down.

In addition, Pinedo is allegedly responsible for a shooting of a man two months earlier in the 1700 block of Luxton Street in Seaside. He’s also suspected in the March 2014 shooting in the 1600 block of Noche Buena Street in Seaside. The victim was inside a house that was shot at several times and was struck by gunfire. Both victims survived.

The DA’s Office is being asked to file charges of murder and assault with a firearm in the death of Kennedy, and two charges each of attempted murder and assault with a firearm in the shootings of the other two men.

Pinedo is alleged to have been a part of the Norteno gang at the time of the shootings, as is Trinidad, who PRVNT Commander Ethan Andrews told reporters was a leader of the gang during that time period. Police want Trinidad to be charged with gang conspiracy.

Both men are currently incarcerated in other cases. Pinedo is in prison serving a sentence for an unrelated sexual assault conviction in 2015. Trinidad is in Monterey County Jail on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was arrested by PRVNT after appearing in a Norteno rap video depicting gang members holding and shooting firearms.

Andrews said the cold case project started investigating Kennedy’s murder last year, which led to the additional charges in the attempted murder cases. They are continuing to investigate other Seaside homicides that happened around the same time.

In July 2014, 28-year-old Andre Jacobs was stabbed to death while walking in the 1000 block of Elm Avenue. Also that month 28-year-old Rafael Wynn was shot and killed while driving his car on General Jim Moore Boulevard. The next month 54-year-old Fred Pirtle was shot and killed while walking in the 1300 block of Sonoma Avenue.

None of the victims in the cases listed by PRVNT were considered to be gang members. Andrews says it could be cases of mistaken identity or being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

When asked why the violence between the two gangs became so heated, Sgt. Jorge Enriquez answered sometimes police don’t know.

“In my time as a Seaside Police officer, we have times when violence spikes, sometimes for no particular reason, 2013-2014 was an example of that,” Enriquez said.