Juan Perez, 40, of San Jose, was arrested in connection with a fatal shooting reported Feb. 18 outside a liquor store vigil being held near Story and South White roads, police say. (San Jose Police Dept.)
SAN JOSE — Police have announced the arrest of a man in connection with a shooting at a candlelight vigil outside an East San Jose liquor store that killed one person and injured two others last month.
Juan Perez, 40, of San Jose, was arrested Friday in connection with the Feb. 18 shooting outside the Mount Pleasant Bottle Shop near Story and South White roads, according to a San Jose Police Department news release.
The gunfire was reported at 8:53 p.m. in the store’s parking lot where a vigil was being held. Responding police officers found a wounded man and wounded woman, police said. The man died at the scene; the woman was taken to a hospital and was expected to survive.
Police said later that night, a woman was dropped off at a hospital with gunshot injuries, and was determined to be a third victim of the parking lot shooting.
An ensuing investigation identified Perez as the shooting suspect. Police said a precise motive and what led to the shooting remained under investigation.
Perez is being held without bail at the Santa Clara County Main Jail.
The shooting marked the seventh homicide of the year investigated by San Jose police. That total has since risen to nine as of Wednesday.
Anyone with information about the Feb. 18 shooting can contact the SJPD homicide unit at 408-277-5283 or email Detective Amanda Estantino at 4339@sanjoseca.gov or Detective Mike Harrington at 4365@sanjoseca.gov. Tips can be left with Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers at 408-947-7867 or at siliconvalleycrimestoppers.org.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Originally published at Robert Salonga