SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A woman has been arrested in connection with an alleged tent fire that killed a man in early July, according to the Stockton Police Department.
Erica Morales, 40, was arrested Sunday and booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. She is being held without bond.
According to the Stockton Police Department, a 40-year-old woman and a 36-year-old man were inside a tent at Airport Way and Mormon Slough on July 7 in Stockton when their tent was set on fire. It is unclear if Morales is the woman that was in the tent.
Police say the man and the woman were transported to local hospitals. The man died from his injuries.
Anyone with information about the fire can call the Stockton Police Department at (209) 937-8377 or the Investigations Division at (2019) 937-8323.
STOCKTON CRIME IN CONTEXT
The increase in homicide cases in Stockton during the early months of 2022 came on the heels of a decline in 2021, where police reported fewer homicides ending the year with a total of 38 cases.
While that’s not the lowest number the department has dealt with in the past 12 years, it is below the annual average of 40 homicide cases per year since 1995.
In response to the rise in homicides, community groups held prayer vigils and outreach events meant to unite Stockton residents against violence.
Activists have called on the community to show up to such events and work with local organizations such as Advance Peace, Faith in the Valley, Lighthouse of the Valley and the Office of Violence Prevention to discourage crime and help impacted communities heal.
Click here for a map of crime statistics.
In an interview with ABC10 in March, Stockton City Manager Harry Black said the Stockton Police Department is trying to prevent more deaths by working more on intelligence gathering and cooperating with federal partners such as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Marshall's Service.
The city is also working to improve its crime prevention, intervention and fighting strategy, Black said. Representatives with the city's Office of Violence Prevention are working to be more present in communities impacted by crime. The office's 'peacekeepers program' places mediators and mentors in high crime areas.