San José police say a 69-year-old Gilroy woman has been arrested in connection with the death of a 41-year-old man with a developmental disability, a case now counted as the city's 27th homicide of 2025 and one that is already stirring hard questions about how vulnerable adults are cared for behind closed doors.
The man was found unresponsive at a home in the 1200 block of Mastic Street on May 17, 2025, in what officers initially logged as an unattended death. Months later, after a medical examiner review and a homicide ruling tied to neglect, detectives circled back and made an arrest.
In a press release shared by San José Police Media Relations, investigators identified the suspect as Enid Acevedo, a Gilroy resident. Police say Acevedo was taken into custody in Gilroy last Wednesday, then booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on a charge of felony abuse of a dependent adult resulting in death. The San José Police Department says the arrest was carried out with help from its Covert Response Unit.
SJPD Investigates Homicide #27 of 2025https://t.co/0RVxbnvWCq pic.twitter.com/vSimEf6yaU
— San José Police Media Relations (@SJPD_PIO) March 23, 2026
According to the department, the victim was a 41-year-old man with a developmental disability who lived at the Mastic Street residence where officers responded in May 2025. On August 29, 2025, the Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by neglect. San José police note in their release that this case is recorded as the city's 27th homicide of 2025 and is being investigated under case number 25-137-0312.
What the Charge Means
The allegation of felony abuse of a dependent adult resulting in death stems from California Penal Code section 368, which covers both abuse and neglect involving elders and dependent adults. Under that statute, a defendant who proximately causes the death of a dependent adult faces extra state prison time in addition to any base term: five additional years if the victim is under 70, or seven additional years if the victim is 70 or older. The full statutory language and sentencing structure are detailed by the California Legislative Information site.
Investigation and How to Help
Detectives emphasize that the investigation is still active and are asking anyone with information to reference case number 25-137-0312 when reaching out. The case is assigned to Detective Sergeant Martinez (#4117) and Detective Aboud (#4468) in the Homicide Unit, whose contact details were included in the department’s advisory.
Tipsters who prefer to stay anonymous can use the P3TIPS mobile app, call the tip line at (408) 947-STOP, or submit information through the San José Police Department’s news and tips pages. Police say rewards may be available through Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers.
Why This Matters Locally
According to local authorities, cases like this sometimes begin as routine unattended death calls and only later shift into homicide investigations when medical examiner findings and follow-up detective work point to abuse or neglect. That is the path officials say unfolded here, with the Santa Clara County Office of the Medical Examiner-Coroner ultimately determining the manner of death.
The arrest is shining a harsh spotlight on how dependent adults with disabilities are supervised in private-care settings, and on the behind-the-scenes role of law enforcement and medical examiners in surfacing potential criminal neglect that might otherwise stay hidden.
