Post by HeadMarshal on May 8, 2023 7:04:38 GMT -5
Photo Credits: Newspapers.com
Defendant Details
Name: Gerardo Soto
Current Approximate Age: 42-43 (As of May 8, 2023. Based on February 1, 2002 Newspapers.com article)
Name: Juan Dedios Soto
Current Approximate Age: 45-46 (As of May 8, 2023. Based on February 1, 2002 Newspapers.com article)
Date Of Crime: January 24, 2001
Location Of Crime: Delano & Tulare County, California
----
Gerardo and Juan Soto are the last suspects wanted in connection with the homicide of 17-year old Eric Jones. Authorities say that a group of men lured Eric to a residence to smoke meth. Once there, Eric was attacked by being stabbed, beaten, electrocuted, sodomized and also called racial slurs (Eric was African-American). Eric was then bound with duct tape, taken to a remote area in Tulare County and shot ten times.
Sheriff's officials believed that Eric may have been killed for retaliation after he stole a car, according to Newspapers.com archives. The same article mentioned that prosecutors did not believe that but did not comment on a motive.
Five of Eric's killers were arrested and convicted. One was given parole in 2021 despite pleas from Eric's family to keep him in jail. The Soto brothers are believed to have fled to Mexico and have never been arrested.
Based on crime location, it is advised to contact the Tulare County Sheriff's Department at 559-725-4194 if you have any information on Gerardo and/or Juan Soto's whereabouts.
Moderator Note: If you have any (news-related) updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
----
Thoughts? As of today, May 8, 2023, Gerardo and Juan are listed in Tulare County's court records database as having their cases classified as "open" with active arrest warrants. Their warrant statuses were also mentioned in a 2021 news article about this case. I checked PACER and did not see an UFAP (Unlawful Flight To Avoid Prosecution) case for either of them.
I'm actually infuriated that the coverage about the parole of one suspect did not publicize detailed information about the Soto brothers. Newspapers.com articles mentioned that Eric was believed to have been tortured at the Soto brothers residence. Therefore, it is imperative that Gerardo and Juan are arrested and prosecuted.
It also concerns me that I am still finding really horrible underreported cold case fugitives. I don't expect to profile every single one of them. The reason being that many are wanted out of locations where their warrants cannot be validated. I'm still doing what I can to inform the public about these really bad fugitives.
- online.tulare.courts.ca.gov/
- www.kget.com/news/crime-watch/man-paroled-in-delano-teens-murder-now-in-ice-custody/
- abc30.com/gerardo-zavala-eric-jones-delano-crime-racial-attack/7091472/
- www.kget.com/news/homicide-news/teen-victims-family-wrote-to-governors-office-to-have-convicted-killers-parole-blocked/
