Man killed in shooting ‘ambush’ in Merced identified

A man shot and killed over the weekend in Merced was identified Monday as Luis Alberto Palomares, the Merced County Coroner’s Office confirmed.

Palomares, 29, of Planada died Sunday at a regional hospital, a few hours after a gang-related attack in the 1000 block of Home Avenue in Merced that sent three people to the hospital with gunshot wounds, including Palomares, the Merced Police Department reported.

Police have made no arrests in the case and no suspect descriptions were available Monday, Capt. Tom Trindad told the Merced Sun-Star on Monday.

The other two male victims, ages 25 and 31, are expected to survive, police said.

All three men were standing in the driveway of a house in the 1000 block of Home Avenue around 10 p.m. Saturday when they were “ambushed” by three people who opened fire, the Police Department said in a news release.

Trindad said investigators do not believe the incident was connected to another shooting in Winton that occurred an hour earlier Saturday, but said it was too early to know whether the homicide was related to any other recent incidents of gang violence.

“There are several possible motives the detectives are looking into,” Trindad said.

The Winton shooting also sent three people to the hospital with gunshot wounds. The victims, two 18-year-old women and a 19-year-old man, were shot around 9 p.m. in the 7100 block of Bobbie Avenue in Winton, the Merced County Sheriff’s Department said.

Injuries to the three victims in Winton were described by investigators as “superficial” and all three are expected to survive, deputies said.

No arrests have been made and no suspect descriptions were available Monday, Shelton said.

Palomares’ death marked the 14th homicide in 2014 in the city of Merced and the 30th homicide of the year in Merced County.

This story was originally published November 3, 2014 at 4:45 PM with the headline "Man killed in shooting ‘ambush’ in Merced identified."