EUNICE SERRATO -16 yo/ Accused: Juan Salazar Jr. -San Ardo CA

A tad more detail then official alerts usually give:

AMBER ALERT: 16-YEAR-OLD EUNICE SERRATO
Submitted by Dana Griffin on Sun, 07/29/2012 - 11:09

An Amber Alert has been issued for a missing 16 year-old girl. Around 10 pm last night, detectives responded to Railroad Avenue in San Ardo. A homeowner found two deceased males inside of the home. The two males were identified as Hector Reyes and Daniel Fraga.
The homeowner’s daughter 16 year-old Eunice Serrato, is now missing. She’s a Hispanic female, 5’5” weighing 130 pounds. Eunice Serrato’s boyfriend Juan Manuel Salazar Jr, and his father Juan Manuel Salazar are both person’s of interest in this case, and are believed to be taking Serrato to Mexico.
Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to call Detective Brett Speirs at 831-755-3805 or the tip line at 888-833-4847.

http://kiem-tv.com/node/3705

1 Suspect Arrested, Girl Still Missing Following Monterey Abduction

July 30, 2012 8:00 AM

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A suspect was in custody Monday for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl, who remains missing.

A statewide Amber Alert was issued Sunday for Eunice Serrato of San Ardo after the teen was allegedly taken by 39-year-old Juan Manuel Salazar Sr. and his son around 9:45 p.m. Saturday, according to the Monterey County Sheriff’s Department.

Salazar Sr. turned himself in Sunday night, but his son, 19-year-old Juan Manuel Salazar Jr., is still believed to be with Serrato in a tan, 2007 Honda Civic with California license plate 6JUK098, according to authorities.

The 1990 white Acura Integra the Monterrey County Sheriff’s Department initially believed the suspects were driving has been located in San Ardo.

The men are also “persons of interest” in two deaths. On Saturday evening, Serrato’s parents came home from dinner to find their daughter missing and two men dead in their bathroom.

Her parents believe the murders may be gang related. Their home was broken into last week and gang signs were written on their door.

Salazar Jr. is described as Hispanic, 5 feet 8 inches tall and 150 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He is possibly wearing glasses, and authorities say he may have a gunshot wound.

Officials believe Serrato is the girlfriend of the younger Salazar, who may be planning to take her to Mexico, authorities added.

Serrato reportedly contacted her father Sunday morning saying she was not scared. She is described as a Hispanic female, 5 feet 5 inches tall, and 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She was last seen in a blue and white shirt, pink jacket, jeans and sandals.

Anyone with information about Serrato or Salazar Jr., who is believed to be armed and dangerous, was asked to call Detective Brett Speirs at (831)755-3805 or the TIP line at (888)833-4847.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/07/30/1-suspect-arrested-girl-still-missing-following-monterey-abduction/

2nd man may be traveling with missing Calif. teen

SAN ARDO, Calif. (AP) — Authorities said another man may be traveling with a missing 16-year-old Monterey County teen believed to be abducted by
her boyfriend.

Monterey County Sheriff's Department Commander Jerry Teeter said 21-year-old Rogelio Aviles could be traveling with Eunice Serrato and her suspected abductor, 19-year-old Juan Manual Salazar Jr. Teeter says Aviles is a friend of Salazar's with access to a Honda Civic that they are believed to be driving to Mexico in.

Authorities issued an Amber Alert for Serrato after her parents found two men shot to death in the bathroom of their San Ardo home on Saturday night and their daughter missing. The circumstances leading to the shooting and alleged abduction are unclear. The victims, 22-year-old Hector Reyes and 25-year-old Daniel Fraga, are not related to the Serratos and their connection to the family was not known, Teeter said.

The initial alert suggested that Salazar's father, 39-year-old Juan Manual Salazar Sr., may have been traveling with his son and Serrato. Teeter said the elder Salazar presented himself to police for questioning Sunday night and was not taken into custody.

Teeter said the border patrol and the FBI could not confirm that the couple had crossed into Mexico.

Deputies believe Salazar is armed and dangerous. He does not have a criminal history and is a person of interest in the fatal shootings, according
to Teeter.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/2nd-man-may-be-traveling-with-missing-Calif-teen-3747646.php

Police: Missing Calif. teen Eunice Serrato may have been abducted to Mexico

(CBS/AP) SAN ARDO, Calif. - Authorities say a California teen believed
to have been abducted by her boyfriend may be traveling with him and
another man to Mexico.
Eunice Serrato, 16, was
reported missing Saturday night after her parents found two men shot to
death in the bathroom of their San Ardo home and their daughter gone.
Serrato's
boyfriend, 19-year-old Juan Manual Salazar Jr., is considered a person
of interest in the case, and Monterey County Sheriff's Department
Commander Jerry Teeter says 21-year-old Rogelio Aviles may be traveling
with Serrato and Salazar.
Teeter says Aviles is a friend of Salazar's with access to a Honda Civic they are believed to be driving to Mexico in.
Salazar's
father , Juan Manual Salazar Sr., was considered a person of interest
and presented himself to police for questioning Sunday night. Teeter
says he was not taken into custody.
According to CBS Los Angeles,
the two Salazar men are also "persons of interest" in the deaths of
22-year-old Hector Reyes and 25-year-old Daniel Fraga, the men found in
the Serrato's bathroom.
Serrato's parents believe the murders
may be gang related. Their home was broken into last week and gang signs
were written on their door, reports CBS Los Angeles.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57483693-504083/police-missing-calif-teen-eunice-serrato-may-have-been-abducted-to-mexico/

Subject of Amber Alert Turns Self In

08/04/2012

A 16-year-old girl and her boyfriend, missing since a July 28 double homicide in Monterey County, turned themselves in at the United States border in San Diego Saturday morning, according to the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.

An Amber Alert for Eunice Serrato, 16, was cancelled immediately.

She was taken into custody along with Juan Manuel Salazar, Jr., 19, and investigators are traveling to San Diego County to return them to Monterey County.

Investigators have said they believe Serrato was abducted and taken to Mexico by Salazar following the deaths of two men at the San Ardo home where Serrato was staying. Salazar has been called a person of interest in connection with the double homicide.

The bodies of Hector Reyes, 22, and Daniel Fraga, 25, were discovered around 10 p.m. on July 28 inside a home at 62240 Railroad Ave., according to the sheriff's office.

The capture of Salazar and return of Serrato is the second break in the case in less than 24 hours.

Investigators also arrested Maria Delia Aviles-Rodriquez, 36, of Paso Robles and King city around 7:30 p.m. Friday in connection with the case. She was arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting kidnapping, child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and the destruction of evidence.

Search warrants were served on Aviles-Rodriquez' residence in Pas Robles as well as for her vehicle. Aviles-Rodriquez was booked into Monterey County Jail.

Investigators initially said they believed Serrato had been kidnapped by both Salazar and his father, Juan Manuel Salazar, Sr., 39, but the older man turned himself in on July 29. He was still described as a person of interest in the case earlier this week, but was not taken into custody.

The investigation is ongoing, and officials say other arrests are expected.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call (831) 755-3772 or the Monterey County Sheriff's Department Tip Line at (888) 833-4847.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Subject-of-Amber-Alert-Turns-Self-In-165030526.html

Man accused in San Ardo abduction

11:35 PM, Aug. 17, 2012

SAN ARDO — A 19-year-old man accused of fleeing with his underaged girlfriend without her parents’ consent has been charged with child abduction, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office said.

Juan Manuel Salazar Jr. pleaded not guilty to the child abduction charge Thursday, the District Attorney’s Office said.

Salazar Jr. of Paso Robles was initially booked into county jail after he and his girlfriend, Eunice Serrato, 16, turned themselves over to agents at the U.S.-Mexico border on Aug. 4, a week after an Amber Alert was issued for the girl.

The two were sought by law enforcement after Hector Reyes, 22, and Daniel Fraga, 25, were found shot dead July 28 in the bathroom of the San Ardo home of Serrato’s parents.

Salazar Jr. was released from jail Aug. 9 after charges were not filed against him.

The District Attorney’s Office said he was rearrested in Riverside County on suspicion of child abduction. While Salazar Jr. was initially accused in the double homicide, they said, he wasn’t charged with the murders due to insufficient evidence.

He is scheduled to return to court on Tuesday, the District Attorney’s Office said.

Also connected to the case is Salazar Jr.’s mother, Maria Delia Rodriguez, 36, who has pleaded not guilty to one count each of felony child endangerment and misdemeanor obstructing a peace officer.

http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20120818/NEWS09/308180020

San Ardo Amber Alert Suspect in Court, Lawyer Says Charges Are " Trumped Up"

Posted: Aug 21, 2012 8:17 PM CDT
Updated: Aug 22, 2012 10:17 AM CDT
By Jacqueline Tualla

SALINAS, Calif- The man accused of taking off with his girlfriend after two bodies were found inside her home in San Ardo was finally in court Tuesday afternoon. Juan Salazar Jr. was not in court on charges for the double murder but he was there to face one count of child concealment.

The charges stem from an Amber Alert that was issued after he was accused of fleeing to Mexico with 16-year-old Eunice Serrato.

Serrato was in court to support Salazar and his attorney said she went willingly with him when they left San Ardo in July.

One of the elements of child concealment is that Salazar had to have done something maliciously; in this case, that would be bringing harm to Serrato or holding her against her will.

His attorney argued there was never any effort to conceal her, or to keep her from calling her parents.

The Monterey County District Attorney's office said Salazar already took off once, bringing the girl to Mexico, and prosecutors said it makes sense he would take off if he did play a part in the murder of the two men found in Seratto's home.

"I believe these charges are purely trumped up," said Eugene Martinez, Salazar's attorney. "There's no legal basis for them. The prosecution knows it, the Sheriff's Office knows it. They're just having difficulty trying to figure out what happened."

Salazar's bail is still set at $100,000, something his attorney was fighting and something the D.A.'s office said isn't adequate and should be higher.

Martinez said he's confident the judge will discharge his client from these charges come his preliminary hearing on Sept. 6.

Central Coast News asked Martinez if Salazar had any involvement with the death of the two men found in the San Ardo home and he said: "What happened in that house will come out in the future."

The D.A.'s office is still looking into the evidence to decide whether it will press murder charges.

http://www.kcoy.com/story/19336585/man-accused-of-child-concealment-appears-in-salinas-court

Amber Alert Suspect In Court For Preliminary Hearing

Posted: Sep 06, 2012 8:34 PM CDT
Updated: Sep 06, 2012 8:34 PM CDT
By Jacqueline Tualla

SALINAS - The center of testimony during Juan Manuel Salazar Jr.'s preliminary hearing on Thursday was all about whether his 16-year-old girlfriend's parents gave her permission to take off with him on July 28.

Salazar is accused of taking off with Eunice Serrato after two men were found dead in her San Ardo home.

On July 29, an Ambert Alert for the teen was issued, lasting more than a week.

On Aug. 3, Salazar's mother was arrested for helping her son escape.

Then on Aug. 6, Juan Salazar Jr. and Serrato turned themselves in at the Mexico border.

Now, Salazar Jr. is facing child concealment charges and he's being investigated for that double murder.

At court on Thursday, it was a long day of cross examination.

Two witnesses testified.

One deputy from the Monterey County Sheriff's Office was called to the stand and described the bloody scene in San Ardo.

He said the victim's mother was very scared that night because she didn't know where her daughter was, prompting the Amber Alert.

But Salazar Jr.'s attorney argued the girl voluntarily left the house because she was scared after seeing the dead bodies.

Attorneys questioned whether Serrato's mother actually told the deputy she didn't have permission to be with Salazar that night.

The deputy said the girl was told to stay home, and not leave.

But Salazar's attorney said the deputy didn't specifically ask Serrato's parents whether she was supposed to be with him.

Serrato spoke with Central Coast News off camera.

She wouldn't say much, other than she is doing fine through this process.

She was supposed to take the stand, but the court ran out of time.

The hearing is scheduled to continue on Sept. 20.

http://www.kionrightnow.com/story/19479254/amber-alert-suspect-in-court-for-preliminary-hearing

Teen charged in double San Ardo homicide that sparked Amber Alert

UPDATED 5:44 PM PDT Oct 02, 2012

SALINAS, Calif. —

Another twist happened on Tuesday in a double San Ardo homicide case that's
taken a dizzying number of turns since two King City men were slain in
July.

• 
  
  PHOTOS: Who's who in the San Ardo double homicide case
  
  Juan Manuel Salazar Jr. is the prime suspect in a July 28 double homicide in
  San Ardo that sparked an Amber Alert for his 16-year-old girlfriend.
  

Juan Manuel Salazar Jr., 19, of San Ardo, was arraigned in a Monterey County
courthouse Tuesday afternoon. During the arraignment, it was revealed
that prosecutors are charging Salazar and a co-defendant with two counts
of murder.


Salazar appeared surprised in court when prosecutors announced that he was being charged with murder.

"It's taken awhile for the Sheriff's Office to get a hold of enough people
who knew what happened and to get to the bottom of it," prosecutor Steve
Somers told KSBW's Felix Cortez on Tuesday. "That's for sure."

"The Sheriff's Office has been working very hard on this. We know a lot more today than we did a month ago," Somers said.

In July, Salazar set off a statewide Amber Alert when officials believed
he kidnapped his 16-year-old girlfriend on the same day that two men
were found dead in a San Ardo house on Railroad Avenue. The house
belonged to 16-year-old Eunice Serrato's parents.

Authorities initially believed Salazar abducted Serrato against her will to take
her to Mexico. Salazar and his underage girlfriend surrendered to U.S.
Border Patrol agents when they were caught at the U.S.-Mexico border a
few days later.

Before Tuesday, it appeared investigators were unsure who killed Hector Reyes,
23, and Daniel Fraga, 26. The two King City men were found dead on July 28.

But prosecutors are now saying that they believe Salazar Jr. and a second
man were in fact the killers. Enrique Lopez, 23, of King City, was
charged with two counts of murder with gang enhancements.

Lopez and Salazar are behind bars and being held on $3 million bail
each. Neither suspect entered a plea and their arraignment was
re-scheduled for Thursday.

Prosecutors did not disclosed a possible motive, however, they said Lopez and Salazar are Sureno gang members.

The latest twist in the San Ardo killings case comes after
Salazar's mother, Maria Aviles-Rodriguez, 36, of Paso Robles, was
cleared of all charges against her, including kidnapping, child abuse,
contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and destruction of evidence.
Those charges stemmed from the July Amber Alert incident.


http://www.ksbw.com/news/central-california/salinas/Teen-charged-in-double-San-Ardo-homicide-that-sparked-Amber-Alert/-/5738906/16829738/-/2s0vtp/-/index.html#ixzz28CnDydJO