Modesto man wanted in south Merced homicide case

An 18-year-old Modesto man wanted in connection with a Merced homicide slipped through a police perimeter Wednesday and remains on the run.

A murder warrant has been issued for Joseph Onate, the fourth suspect in the Nov. 27 slaying of 33-year-old Luis Gonzalez, who was stabbed to death in a south Merced alleyway near West 12th Street behind a fast-food restaurant. Onate’s brother, Toby D. Onate, 19, already has been arrested and charged with murder in the case, Merced police Detective Joe Deliman confirmed.

Merced police also have arrested Mauricio Soriano and a 16-year-old boy, who both have been charged with robbery.

Soriano, 19, and Toby Onate have pleaded not guilty and remain in custody at the John Latorraca Correctional Facility. They are due back in court Monday.

Deliman declined to comment on the role he believes each suspect may have played the night Gonzalez was killed.

Officers with the Modesto Police Department’s Street Gang Unit spotted Joseph Onate in the late afternoon Wednesday near the Sunrise Village Mobile Home Park in the 400 block of West Seventh Street, just south of the Tuolumne River, near Crows Landing Road in south Modesto.

Police and Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputies surrounded the area and searched for Joseph Onate for several hours without success.

Deliman confirmed Joseph Onate is a suspect wanted for murder in Gonzalez’s death and that Wednesday’s search was related to the case.

“Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts, we’d like them to give us a call,” Deliman said Thursday.

According to police reports, Gonzalez was stabbed multiple times in the upper body during a fight with two people just before 8 p.m. in an alley in the 1200 block of West 12th Street. Shortly after Gonzalez went down, two other people assaulted him while he was on the ground and robbed him. Police have not commented on what was taken or said what they believe may have motivated the fight.

Gonzalez was rushed to Mercy Medical Center in Merced, but was pronounced dead a short time later.

Deliman has said detectives don’t believe the homicide was motivated by robbery, but that thieves took advantage of a badly injured man.

The murder weapon, described as some type of knife or cutting instrument, has not been found.

Gonzalez’s death was the only homicide of 2016 in the city of Merced. Police reported a total of 11 homicides in 2015.

Merced police described Joseph Onate as about 5-feet-8 and about 150 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Deliman at 209-385-6992, Merced police dispatch at 209-385-6905, or the Merced Police Department Tipster Line at 209-385-4725. The public can send information via anonymous text messages to the Police Department by dialing “TIP411” (847411) and including the word “ComVIP” as the keyword in the text message. Tips are confidential and callers may remain anonymous.

This story was originally published February 23, 2017 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Modesto man wanted in south Merced homicide case."