Police investigating homicide, home invasion in south Merced

The Merced Police Department was investigating what appears to be a home invasion and homicide in the 400 block of Tucolay Court Friday morning, officials said.

Details are preliminary. Police received a call after people in the area heard gunfire at about 12:17 a.m. and found a man with gunshot wounds inside the home, according to Lt. Jay Struble.

The victim was described as a black man in his 30s.

Witnesses said a group of men entered the home and stole items from inside, police said. “They came in shooting” said a resident of the home. “He went to check the door, there was some tussling and then gunfire.”

The witness, who asked not to be identified, citing safety concerns, claimed the men threatened to kill them before another resident told the intruders about the location of a safe. The intruders then took the safe and fled the scene, according to the witness.

“The Merced Police Department Investigations Unit is diligently investigating this case,” Struble said in a news release. “The investigators are in the early stages of the investigation and it is too early to determine if the case is drug and/or gang related.”

The incident marks the fourth homicide of 2019 in Merced County. There were 15 homicides in 2018, according to the Merced County Coroner’s Office.

Merced police are asking anyone with any information regarding this crime to contact Detective Moses Nelson at 209-388-7756, or the Merced Police Department Tipster Line at 209-385-4725. Tips are kept confidential and you can remain anonymous.

The public can send information via anonymous text messages to police department by dialing “TIP411” (847411) and including the word “Comvip” as the “keyword” in the text message.

This story was originally published January 25, 2019 at 10:42 AM.