As the four-year mark approaches since the fatal shooting of Tonya Wales, a Lodi mother of three, her husband's call for answers echoes through the community of Stockton. Wales was killed on her birthday inside a vehicle in North Stockton, a scene that has left her family grappling with loss and a yearning for closure. According to ABC10, the incident happened around 6:30 a.m. at the Polo Run apartment complex off East Hammer Lane and Palisades Drive. The police have made no arrests, and the case remains unsolved.
Officer David Scott, the spokesperson for the Stockton Police Department, emphasized the urgency of community support, "Unfortunately, the leads have kind of stalled out, and so we're really asking for the community's help and we have a family that wants justice and some answers and closure. And we have detectives that are relentlessly wanting to hold that person accountable and get justice for the family," he told ABC10. Wales' husband reminds the public of the tremendous loss, he and his children suffer without her, marked by birthdays that pass without answers.
The plea for information is not the only effort to reignite the stalled investigation. The Stockton Police Department has now paired the request for community tips with a financial incentive, announcing a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. The case details were reiterated by FOX40, which stated the tragic event occurred in the 8100 block of Palisades Drive, where Wales was pronounced dead at the scene.
Tonya Wales' husband continues to carry the weight of her absence, managing a family that has learned to live with a gaping hole. "She's a great mother. She's really, she had a great heart. She always tried to help people like. I mean, anybody... if somebody needs a ride or somebody needs this or that and she was always there to help them and that's what people don't understand, like I saw that," he shared in an interview obtained by ABC10.
Anyone with information pertinent to the case is strongly encouraged to contact the Stockton Police Department Investigations Division at (209) 937-8323 or submit tips anonymously through Stockton Crime Stoppers at (209) 946-0600, or online.
