Cops Hunting Suspect, 21, From Marina Gang In Cannery Row Murder

MONTEREY COUNTY, CA – Police are looking for a man wanted in connection with a fatal shooting last month near Monterey's Cannery Row.

Jorge Luis Mendoza, 21, of Salinas, is a suspect in the death of Raul Melendez, of Monterey, at a parking garage in the 600 block of Wave Street on Nov. 23, police said.

Officers were dispatched to the scene at about 1:40 a.m. that day on reports of shots fired and found Melendez, who was transported to Natividad Medical Center in Salinas where he succumbed to his injuries,
according to police.

It appeared the victim was targeted in the homicide, the first in the Cannery Row area since 1991, police said.

An investigation showed the men were involved in an altercation prior to the shooting at Giant Artichoke Restaurant, about a block away from the garage, according to police.

Mendoza, an alleged gang member out of Marina, is on parole for assault with a deadly weapon and has an outstanding warrant for Melendez's death, according to police.

"Mendoza is a validated gang member from Marina," the department said.

Mendoza, who is considered armed and dangerous, was released from prison on May 25, and investigators haven't been able to find him, police said.

Anyone who spots the suspect is advised to stay away from him and call 911, according to police.

Those with information on Mendoza's whereabouts are asked to call police or Peninsula Regional Violence and Narcotics Team at (831) 646-6926 or anonymous tip line at (831) 646-3840.

• ALSO SEE: Men Accused Of Stabbing Each Other At Cannery Row From Castroville, Salinas [UPDATE]

--Bay City News contributed to this report/Photo of Mendoza via Monterey PD