GILROY
– While a 21-year-old Gilroy man faced murder charges today that
could mean life in prison, the family members of his alleged victim
were mourning their loved one who was stabbed more than 20 times
Thursday night in the kitchen of his Eigleberry Street
apartment.
GILROY – While a 21-year-old Gilroy man faced murder charges today that could mean life in prison, the family members of his alleged victim were mourning their loved one who was stabbed more than 20 times Thursday night in the kitchen of his Eigleberry Street apartment.
“He knew that place was trouble and he was talking about moving out,” said Gracie, the sister-in-law of 26-year-old murder victim Wilfredo Coreas who lives in Gilroy. Gracie would not give her last name for fear of retaliation to her family, but said Coreas was a hard-working construction worker and mason who came to Gilroy from El Salvador six years ago with the goal of earning enough money to build his mother and sister a home in his native land.
“He gave up a lot of things in his own life to help his family,” Gracie said. “So that guy (who killed Coreas) didn’t just kill any man; he hurt all of his family – mentally and financially.”
Police think that guy is Jesse “Jesus” Eduardo Gill, who was at the county Superior Court facility in San Martin this afternoon to make a plea in the murder case. Gill has been held in Santa Clara County jail in San Jose since being arrested Friday evening at a relative’s home in Gilroy.
“He is the only person that has been charged (in the case),” Deputy District Attorney Tom Farris said.
Although police are not releasing any new information on the murder, citing an ongoing investigation, Gracie said Coreas and Gill knew each other because Coreas was sharing the two-bedroom, second-floor apartment at 7190 Eigleberry St. with Gill’s mother and another man.
“(Gill) was always doing meth and didn’t have a home but he would crash there a lot,” Gracie said. “(Coreas) said that (Gill) would steal things from his room and push him around and ask for money. (Gill) was always close to going over the edge.”
Police were called to Coreas’ apartment at 11:30 Thursday night by a roommate of Coreas’ – Gracie said it was Gill’s mother – but when they arrived at the complex on the corner of Eigleberry and Eighth streets Coreas was already dead.
Gill’s mother had been told of the murder by a younger brother and cousin of Gill’s who had witnessed the stabbing, Gracie said; police said there are witnesses to the murder, but would not reveal their identity.
“(Coreas) was a peaceful man and not a fighter,” Gracie said. “He would drink now and then, but he had limits.”
Coreas was enrolled in English classes while he lived in Gilroy and did make enough money to buy his mother a home in El Salvador; he was planning on returning to Central America in the future, Gracie said.
“We’re hoping now that justice will be served,” Gracie said. “It’s sad that this happened to him in Gilroy because it gives it a bad name to (Coreas’) family.”
