Luis Manuel Maldonado Rodriguez, 26, of Forks was shot and killed on Nov. 29 in Turlock, Calif., according to a report from the Turlock Police Department reported in the Turlock Journal newspaper.
The Forks Forum is looking into reports that he is the brother of Antonio Rodriguez Maldonado, the 33-year-old man who was shot and killed in Forks on Sept. 24, 2009. On Tuesday a Clallam County Superior Court jury convicted Forks resident Etienne "Lucky" Choquette of first-degree premeditated murder in the shooting death of Antonio Maldonado. Choquette faces a sentence of up to life in prison for the killing. He is to be sentenced at the courthouse in Port Angeles on Jan. 27.
Police in Turlock are investigating the fatal shooting of Luis Maldonado Rodriguez, Turlock Journal reporter Sabra Stafford told the Forks Forum on Wednesday, Dec. 15, but so far haven’t announced the arrest of a suspect.
The report said Luis Maldonado Rodriguez died from multiple gunshot wounds. He was found bleeding on a sidewalk in Turlock at about 10:30 p.m. the night of the shooting. Police officers rendered first-aid but the former Forks man was pronounced dead at the shooting location, according to the Turlock Journal report.
Turlock is located southeast of Modesto, Calif. in the Central Valley.
A memorial service for Rodriguez is scheduled for noon on Friday at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, with a prayer service beginning on Thursday evening.
He was the son of Felipe and Catalina Rodriquez of Forks.
"The fact that Rodriguez was not from the area is creating an obstacle in the investigation and detectives are seeking the public’s assistance," Stafford reported in the Turlock Journal news story that was posted on Dec. 7.
“The investigation is ongoing and we encourage anyone with information regarding the victim or the incident or if they saw anything suspicious in that area to come forward,” Turlock Police Detective Jason Tosta told the Turlock Journal.Tosta’s phone number is (209) 664-7324. Calls can also be made to a Crime Stoppers phone number in Turlock, at (209) 521-4636 and can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
Click here to read the Turlock Journal report.
