Police Seek Answers in Fatal Shooting of East Bay Homeless Man

Concord police are seeking a suspect and motive in the fatal shooting of a homeless man on Friday night and hope that surveillance camera footage might provide some leads.

Arturo Fernando Arellano, 36, was shot shortly before 11:30 p.m. Friday in the area of Monument Boulevard and Erickson Road, according to police.

Arellano was found lying in the roadway with multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.

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Police Cpl. Christopher Blakely on Monday said Arellano was a self-reliant man who did not cause problems and was friendly with local police.

“He kind of stayed in his lane and did his own thing,” Blakely said, noting that he had just spoken to Arellano the afternoon before the shooting.

“At that time he was fine, we were even joking around,” Blakely said.

The motive for Arellano’s shooting remains unclear and police are canvassing the area, interviewing witnesses and searching for surveillance camera footage that might provide clues, Blakely said.

Arellano’s family is also hoping for answers and has held a vigil the last couple of nights at the scene of the shooting.

Alan Arellano, Arturo’s older brother, and Antolin Gomez, his stepfather, were among the family members who drove up from Southern California.

Arturo, one of nine children, was originally from the Bay Area but most of his family later moved to Southern California, they said. He stayed in touch with the family and saw them occasionally but declined to stay or accept help.

“He’s one of the small percentage of individuals who are homeless that make that choice,” Gomez said.

“No matter how much we’d try, he would come and then he’d go back, and there’s nothing you can do, that’s his choice,” Gomez said.

The family described Arturo as someone who was more interested in helping other people than in helping himself. Alan Arellano said he had been moved by the number of people who came forward to pay their respects at the vigil, including many who said Arturo had helped them find a job or a home.

“I didn’t know how much love he had,” Alan Arellano said. “He was somebody who was rich in love and not in possessions.”

The family plans to continue their vigil this afternoon at the scene of the murder and said they hope someone will come forward with information that will help bring some answers.

--Bay City News Service, photo via Shutterstock