Heartbreaking photos show victims of the Stockton serial killer as families are devastated by attacks in California

PHOTOS showing victims of the Stockton serial killer have been shared as their families have been devastated by the series of attacks in California.

The identities of the deceased were released as officials in California considered the killings to be crimes committed by a serial killer.

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The five murders occurred on July 8, August 11, August 30, September 21 and September 27, the Stockton Police Department said in a news conference on Friday.

The victims were identified as Paul Alexander Yaw (35), Salvador William Debudey Jr. (43), Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez (21), Juan Cruz (52) and Lorenzo Lopez (52).

Yaw’s estranged mother, Greta Bogrow, told NBC News that her son, who was killed in Stockton on July 8, had been homeless for five years.

“I always hoped in my heart that someday we would meet again and have a relationship,” Bogrow told the outlet.

“It is always a mother’s dream that her children will become good people. He was a good person. I only wish I had the opportunity to speak to him again in this life.”

Hoping for an arrest soon, she tells NBC whoever is responsible is a “really sick person” and “preys on the vulnerable.”

“My son had a big heart. He never wanted to hurt anyone. … I don’t understand what kind of mind this person could have.

“I hope all of this publicity gets this person to get some kind of justice for what he did to my son and all the other victims and their families.

“I just hope it gets him off the streets and stops him from doing this to anyone else.”

Speaking about his brother, victim Lawrence “Lorenzo” Lopez, Jerry Lopez told NBC he left behind six children, ranging in age from 16 to 38.

Jerry said Lorenzo, who was killed on September 27, was an independent contractor who had become homeless and did not want to “burden” the people who offered him help.

“He would rather take care of himself than other people taking care of him,” Jerry Lopez told the outlet.

Salvador William Debudey Jr. was killed on August 11.

Much like Lorenzo Lopez, Debudey was a father and a Stockton native.

“It’s caused a lot of pain, a lot of pain for our family,” Analydia Lopez, Debudey’s wife, told NBC affiliate KCRA.

The two have known each other for 28 years and have been married for 12 years.

“To be honest, part of me died with him that day,” Lopez said.

“It was hard. It was really, really hard.”

Jonathan Hernandez Rodriguez, 21, was killed August 30.

He was born in Stockton and his funeral was held on Sept. 11, family members told KCRA.

No information was initially available about the fifth victim, Juan Cruz.

SERIAL KILLER FEARS CONFIRMED

On Tuesday, Stockton Police Chief Stanley McFadden said the recent killings fit the definition of a serial killer.

Authorities said in a news conference that the cases are linked to ballistics evidence found at the scene.

It was six days between the first two incidents and then more than a year to the third, McFadden said.

After that, the time between further attacks was between six and 20 days.

The first incident allegedly happened on April 10, 2021, when a 40-year-old Hispanic man was shot and killed just after 4 a.m. in Oakland, police said.

A woman then survived an attack days later on April 16.

She described the suspect as 5ft 10″ to 6ft tall and wearing a black ‘Covid’ type mask.

The 46-year-old woman said the suspect did not say anything to her before shooting her.

A reward of more than $100,000 is planned for information leading to an arrest.

INVESTIGATION OPENED

The police assembled a team of detectives, responders, camera room operators and crime analysts to solve the crimes.

Although all of the victims were identified as Hispanic males, investigators said they do not suspect the killings to be hate crimes.

“At this point we do not know if there is one suspect or multiple suspects committing these murders,” Stockton Police said before Tuesday’s news conference.

McFadden said he thought the pattern was significant enough to warn the public at a recent press conference.

McFadden elaborated further on the chilling overlap between the cases, per Newsweek, saying: “We’re seeing some similarity where they’re really areas of darkness.

“It’s really areas where the person is alone, maybe doesn’t even know it’s coming, and that’s kind of the way [we’re] Look at some of the latest.

“People are on their own, they don’t have the situational awareness that we would like.”

None of the victims were robbed, and all of the crimes occurred when the victims were alone in areas where there were no surveillance cameras.

“HAVE NOT EXCLUDED ANYTHING”

But he also noted that they “haven’t ruled anything out”.

He also warned the public against traveling alone in the dark and traveling through remote locations.

“I know it makes a lot of people nervous when they hear that out there,” McFadden said.

“And I’m just here to say that we have no evidence of that.

“We’re seeing some patterns and similarities in some of our more recent murders, which we’re looking at more closely.”