Top Merced County stories from the past week. Here’s what to know

The Merced Sun-Star reported on several major crime stories over the past week, ranging from a decades-old unsolved murder to fresh arrests in shootings and homicide cases. Here’s a roundup of the top headlines.

Here are key takeaways:

• The family of Stanley Howard is still seeking answers 40 years after he was fatally stabbed in his Merced home on June 22, 1986, with Merced Area Crime Stoppers offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Stanley Howard’s daughter, Rachel Howard, wrote a book about the murder titled “The Lost Night: A Daughter’s Search for the Truth of Her Father’s Murder” and has decided to stop investigating the case.
• The Merced County Sheriff’s Office arrested a second suspect, 19-year-old Alberto Cervantes, on attempted murder and gang-related charges in the June 16 shooting at Winton Community Park that left an adult man in critical condition. Investigators believe additional people witnessed the Winton Community Park shooting and are asking the public for tips, even though they don’t believe there are more suspects.
• Merced police arrested 48-year-old Rene Cuevas on Tuesday on charges of obstruction and possession of an assault weapon and unregistered firearms after serving a search warrant tied to a child sex abuse materials investigation. Detectives found 11 firearms and a grenade during the search of Cuevas’ property, though the bomb squad determined the grenade was safe.
• The Merced Police Department arrested 24-year-old Ivan Gonzalez on June 25 on a charge of conspiracy to commit murder in the April 14 shooting death of 28-year-old Marshay Wilson at the Grand Resort Apartments on Devonwood Drive.
• Los Banos police are investigating a late-night shooting on the 200 block of Seventh Street, where two victims were contacted but neither was injured after a vehicle occupant fired multiple rounds following a confrontation at a local business.