STOCKTON, Calif. — The Stockton Police Department is investigating three homicides that happened between Thursday evening and early Friday morning.
Airport Way and Mormon Slough
The first happened around 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of Airport Way and Mormon Slough.
According to the Stockton Police Department, a 40-year-old woman and 35-year-old man were inside a tent when it was set on fire.
Police say the man and the woman were transported to local hospitals. The unidentified man died from his injuries at the hospital.
"These are the types of crimes we don't see in our city that often and this is just an awful tragedy," said Stockton Police Officer Joe Silva.
Police confirm the motive stemmed from a "love triangle."
"Our suspect who is a female went back to the tent and saw her boyfriend with another woman inside the tent. The suspect then grabbed some kind of accelerant lit it on fire and then walked away," said Silva.
Kermit Lane
The second happened at a park in the 5600-block of Kermit Lane around 12:30 a.m. Friday.
According to the Stockton Police Department, a 35-year-old man was shot at the park. He was taken to the hospital, where he died from his injuries.
According to police, "at this time, there is no motive or any releasable suspect information."
Police are offering a reward of up to $10,000 for any information that leads to an arrest.
Lindsay Street and Union Street
The third happened near the intersection of Lindsay and Union streets around 1:30 a.m. Friday.
Police say a man was shot by an unknown suspect, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Anyone with information in any of the cases can call the Stockton PD non-emergency number at (209) 937-8377 or the Investigations Division at (209) 937-8323.
STOCKTON CRIME IN CONTEXT
The increase in homicide cases in Stockton during the early months of 2022 came on the heels of a decline in 2021, where police reported fewer homicides ending the year with a total of 38 cases.
While that’s not the lowest number the department has dealt with in the past 12 years, it is below the annual average of 40 homicide cases per year since 1995.
In response to the rise in homicides, community groups held prayer vigils and outreach events meant to unite Stockton residents against violence.
Activists have called on the community to show up to such events and work with local organizations such as Advance Peace, Faith in the Valley, Lighthouse of the Valley and the Office of Violence Prevention to discourage crime and help impacted communities heal.
Click here for a map of crime statistics.
In an interview with ABC10 in March, Stockton City Manager Harry Black said the Stockton Police Department is trying to prevent more deaths by working more on intelligence gathering and cooperating with federal partners such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshall's Service.
The city is also working to improve its crime prevention, intervention and fighting strategy, Black said. Representatives with the city's Office of Violence Prevention are working to be more present in communities impacted by crime. The office's 'peacekeepers program' places mediators and mentors in high crime areas.
Watch the full interview: Stockton City Manager Harry Black talks recent crime in the city | Extended Interview