On Tuesday, Monterey police named Jorge Luis Mendoza, 21, of Salinas, as a suspect in the Nov. 23 slaying of 28-year-old Monterey resident Raul Melendez at the Cannery Row Parking Garage on Wave Street. It was the first homicide in the area in 25 years.
Police said in a statement that Mendoza was released from prison in May and is on parole for assault with a deadly weapon. They say he lives in Marina, and that he is a member of a gang.
There is an outstanding warrant for Mendoza's arrest in the slaying of Melendez, and he is considered armed and dangerous.
At approximately 1:41am Nov. 23, police found Melendez lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. He was soon taken to Natividad Medical Center in Salinas, where he died from those injuries.
While no motive has yet been identified, police believe Melendez was singled out in the crime. There have been no suspects identified yet, but the Peninsula Regional Violence and Narcotics Team is actively investigating the case.
Editor's Note: The article was updated to reflect new information in the case from the Monterey Police Department.
(3) comments
I'm surprised the victim wasn't stabilized at CHOMP and then transported to NMC. 5min vs. 20min drive could make the difference between life & death.
I am curious as to why he was taken to a hospital so far away?? Was no doctor available to treat him at CHOMP?
I guess it has to do with the Trama Center. Monterey County worked toward having a Trama Center. Not long ago, patients were flown to San Jose, as I recall.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.