MODESTO – Police announced the arrest of a suspect in the fatal shooting of a man at a car dealership early Friday morning.
The arrest comes less than a day from the time the shooting originally occurred. Shortly after midnight police responded to a report of a person shot on the 900 block of McHenry Avenue. They arrived to find 43 year old Jose Valdez suffering from at least one gunshot wound in the parking lot of Citi Auto Sales. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives worked through the night and with the help of leads and witness interviews, were able to identify 43 year old Edward McCullen as the suspected shooter. Members of Modesto Police SWAT were able to locate and arrest McCullen in Central Modesto shortly before 5pm Friday.
McCullen was booked into jail on multiple charges including homicide and weapon violations.
“We are proud of the work of everyone involved in this investigation,” said Sergeant Sean Martin in a statement. “Our team is committed to bringing justice to victims of violent crime and providing closure to their families. We are glad we were able to do this for Mr. Valdez and his family.”
Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Detective Bolinger at (209) 342-9162 or Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636 where callers can remain anonymous.
