On January 12, 2024, 17-year-old David Cantero Valdez of Tracy, California, was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside a vehicle on Sugar Road between Tracy Boulevard and Holly Drive. Responding to reports of a vehicle collision around 6:30 p.m., Tracy Police Department officers discovered Valdez in the car, which had been shot several times. He was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Valdez was a student at Merrill F. West High School in Tracy.
The community was shocked by the incident, prompting a swift investigation by local law enforcement. Detectives from the Tracy Police Department's General Investigations Unit took over the case, working diligently to identify and apprehend the perpetrator.
On January 19, 2024, around 10:00 a.m., the Tracy Police Department's Crisis Response Unit, along with other specialized teams, executed a search and arrest warrant at a residence in the 1600 block of Court Drive in Tracy. This operation led to the arrest of 27-year-old Victor Vera, a Tracy resident, who was charged with murder in connection to Valdez's death. Vera was subsequently booked into the San Joaquin County Jail.
Authorities believe this was an isolated incident, with no ongoing threat to the community. The Tracy Police Department continues to encourage anyone with additional information about the case to contact Corporal Ken Steele at [email protected] or (209) 831-6660.
