San Jose Police Department (SJPD) has made a significant breakthrough in a homicide case that has remained unsolved since 2021. On the night of September 10, three years ago, officers were called to Winchester Boulevard following reports of a shooting. They discovered two victims, an adult male and a female, both suffering from gunshot wounds. Recently, SJPD apprehended one of the suspects, 35-year-old Christopher Espinoza Jr, a Hollister resident, on charges of murder related to this incident.
According to the San Jose Police Department, the adult male victim who was found unresponsive at the crime scene succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a local hospital. In contrast, the female victim's injuries were non-life-threatening. She was later discharged. The homicide, which took place on the 1500 block of Winchester Blvd., was gang-related and remained a cold case until ongoing investigations led to the identification of the primary suspects. On Tuesday, SJPD's Covert Response Unit managed to track down and arrest Espinoza, who is now facing murder charges and is currently held at the Santa Clara County Jail.
However, the second suspect, Isaiah Sotelo, 22, with his last known address still unknown, remains at large and is suspected to be hiding in Mexico. SJPD maintains an active felony arrest warrant for Sotelo and continues to pursue leads to bring him to justice for his alleged involvement in what was homicide number 26 of 2021 for San Jose.
Authorities are reaching out to the public for assistance in locating Sotelo. Detective Sergeant Barragan and Detective Harrington from the Homicide Unit are leading the case and are eager for anyone with information about Sotelo's whereabouts to make contact, urging the community to help in capturing a suspect who has successfully evaded capture for over three years, anyone with pertinent information is encouraged to email [email protected] or [email protected] or to call 408-277-5283 with details that may aid in the ongoing investigation and eventual apprehension of Isaiah Sotelo.
