Fourth Suspect Arrested in 2018 Homicide
Salinas, CA – On November 3, 2018, at approximately 1:30 am, Felix Francisco (43) was walking on N. Hebron Ave. when he was approached by two vehicles and was gunned down. Francisco had no criminal history and was not a gang member. During the investigation, three suspects were identified as Anthony Valdez, Anelu Tavale and Isaiah Sua. These three suspects were previously indicted for the murder of Francisco as part of Operation REDRUM.
The investigation led Detectives to believe there were four shooters, and Salinas Police Detectives continued to investigate to identify the fourth suspect. Detectives were able to identify Samsoni Toomalatai (22), who was 17 years old at the time of the incident, as another suspect involved in this murder. An arrest warrant was obtained for Toomalatai, and on June 28, 2023, he was arrested in San Jose with the assistance of our Violence Suppression Task Force and the San Jose Police Department. Toomalatai was later booked into the Monterey County Jail.
The Salinas Police Department would like to thank the San Jose Police Department for their assistance in locating Toomalatai and taking him into custody. Although three suspects were arrested for this Homicide, Detectives continued to investigate to hold all persons involved in this senseless homicide accountable for their involvement. This case was investigated by Detective Byron Gansen, who is the Salinas Police Department Cold Case Detective. Anyone with any information on any Cold Case Homicide is encouraged to contact Detective Gansen at 831-758-7277.
The Salinas Police Department is committed to working diligently and relentlessly in partnership with the community to bring perpetrators of violent crime to justice and to bring closure to the families of the victims.
###
|
