Man shot to death in Gustine

A 46-year-old Gustine man was shot to death over the weekend, the Gustine Police Department reported.

The victim, Conception C. Catano, was pronounced dead at a Los Banos hospital, the Merced County Coroner’s Office confirmed.

Few details were available Monday.

The victim was found around 11 p.m. Saturday in the area of East and Wallis avenues. He had been shot multiple times, according to a brief statement released Monday by the Gustine Police Department.

No arrests have been made, police Chief Doug Dunford told the Sun-Star.

Dunford said Catano was found in the street on Wallis Avenue near Pioneer Park. He was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to Memorial Hospital in Los Banos, where he later was pronounced dead.

Dunford confirmed police were “familiar with (Catano) from prior contacts.”

“He was familiar with us and we knew him, so it was kind of a shock,” Dunford said.

Police did not release any details on a possible motive for the shooting or any information regarding a suspect or suspects.

The death marks the fifth homicide of the year in Merced County, according to the Coroner’s Office.

According to Merced County Jail records, Catano has been arrested and cited several times in Merced County since at least 2014, mostly on allegations involving drugs, theft and obstructing police.

Catano most recently was cited and booked into the Merced County Jail on May 7 on a misdemeanor drug possession allegation. He was booked into the jail and released, according to booking records.

This story was originally published June 27, 2016 at 4:33 PM with the headline "Man shot to death in Gustine."