Homicide detectives are asking the public to help crack a three-year-old killing in Rancho Cucamonga, releasing a photo of 41-year-old Victor Salazar as they chase newly developed leads in a case that has never produced a suspect or a motive. Salazar was found shot in the roadway on the night of August 18, 2023, and died a short time later, and investigators say they still need help reconstructing what happened to him that evening.
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff
, deputies and paramedics were called to the 10200 block of 25th Street near Center Street and Hermosa Avenue at roughly 8:14 p.m. after multiple reports of gunfire. As reported by
Patch
, deputies located Salazar, a Rancho Cucamonga resident, lying in the roadway with a gunshot wound before he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. No suspect description or motive was established at the time, and none has been made public since.
Homicide detectives with the Sheriff's Department's Specialized Investigations Division re-examined the case this month after developing new leads, per the same account, prompting the decision to release Salazar's photo and appeal to the public three years after his death. Detectives are asking anyone who saw Salazar before the shooting, or who has any information about the case, to come forward. Detective Travis Kleveno is handling inquiries and can be reached at (909) 890-4904.
A Renewed Push for Public Tips
The Sheriff's Department is also directing tipsters to its online reporting portal, and anonymous callers can reach WeTip by calling or texting 844-909-3006. Per WeTip, the hotline operates around the clock without caller ID or call tracing to protect informants' anonymity, and tips that lead to an arrest and conviction can qualify for cash rewards of up to $1,000.
The renewed appeal fits a pattern for the department's Specialized Investigations Division, which has reopened other stalled Rancho Cucamonga cases as new evidence surfaces. As CBS News reported, the unit released suspect composite sketches in April for an unsolved 2007 shooting in the city, showing how detectives continue to lean on public memory and updated forensic work long after a case goes cold.
How Policing Works in a Contract City
Rancho Cucamonga does not run its own police department. The city has contracted continuously with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department for municipal law enforcement since it incorporated in 1977, according to the City of Rancho Cucamonga. The Rancho Cucamonga Police Station currently deploys 182 sheriff's department personnel to cover roughly 38 square miles and a population topping 177,000, per the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department, with day-to-day patrol handled locally while homicide cases like Salazar's are transferred to countywide specialized detectives.
That structure exists in a city widely seen as one of the safer corners of the county. Rancho Cucamonga's overall crime rate runs around 15.39 per 1,000 residents, nearly half the national average, according to the Law Offices of Julian I. Ducre, a statistic that underscores just how unusual a fatal shooting is for this particular stretch of the city.
An Open File Until Someone Is Caught
Under the Sheriff's Department's own protocol, homicide cases are never closed until a suspect is identified and taken into custody, no matter how many years pass, per reporting shared on the department's Facebook page. That policy is why detectives are still working the Salazar file more than three years after his death, re-interviewing contacts and following up on tips as they come in.
The renewed investigation also comes as San Bernardino County funds Operation Consequences, a multi-agency crime suppression campaign coordinated by the Sheriff's Gangs/Narcotics Division that targets violent crime, illegal firearm possession, and gang activity across county jurisdictions, according to the county. Should a suspect eventually be identified and convicted in Salazar's killing, California law sets steep penalties for homicide: first-degree murder carries 25 years to life in state prison and second-degree murder carries 15 years to life, per Eisner Gorin LLP, with additional sentencing enhancements possible for firearm use under Penal Code Section 12022.53.
For now, the key facts of Salazar's final hours remain unknown to the public, and detectives have not said what specifically prompted this month's fresh push. Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Kleveno directly or submit a tip through the Sheriff's Department's online reporting site or the WeTip hotline.
