Police Fear Retaliation for Teen's Suspected Gang-Related Murder In Santa Cruz County

A teenager killed in a shooting Wednesday has been identified as 15-year-old Jason Reyes, who was likely targeted due to his affiliation with a street gang, a Watsonville police spokesman said today.

Reyes was a self-admitted gang member and police are investigating his fatal shooting as gang-related, police Lt. Saul Gonzales said in a prepared statement.

Police believe a shooting reported about an hour before the teen was shot was also related, according to Gonzales.

[Previous: Teen Boy Shot, Killed In Watsonville Wednesday Night.]

Gonzales said police are concerned about possible retaliatory crime among gang members and are taking steps to prevent another death. Reyes was fatally shot around 6:20 p.m. Wednesday on Ross Avenue and Airport Boulevard, police said.

Firefighters in a nearby Watsonville firehouse on Airport Boulevard reported hearing shots fired, went over to investigate and soon found the wounded teen trying to stop motorists for assistance, Gonzales said.

Fire personnel immediately rendered medical aid and the boy was airlifted to a local hospital but died while en route, police said.

So far, police have little to go on from witnesses and are investigating “very loose leads” with the hope that someone will come forward with good information about the shooting, Gonzales said.

Police said a car that may have been occupied by the suspected shooter is described as a black, two-door Honda Civic with a heavy-set, dark-skinned male passenger.

The related shooting about an hour prior to the killing, on Bowker Road, did not cause any injuries, Gonzales said.

The boy’s murder was the eighth homicide in Watsonville this year and the sixth gang-related killing, compared to a total of three homicides in the city during all of last year, he said.

Anyone with information about the teen’s shooting may contact the Police Department at (831) 768-3350 or leave an anonymous tip by calling (831) 728-3544.

--Bay City News