Nearly four months after Juan Lugo was stabbed to death in a
Gilroy alley, no one seems to know who would want to kill him, or
why
– not even the detective tracking down his killer.
Gilroy – Nearly four months after Juan Lugo was stabbed to death in a Gilroy alley, no one seems to know who would want to kill him, or why – not even the detective tracking down his killer.
Last month, attorneys dropped charges against Tomas Martinez, the main suspect in Lugo’s death. Sources pointed police toward the 21-year-old man who was spotted near the alley behind La Colonia Latina, 7261 Monterey St., where a relative stumbled across Lugo’s body just before 1am Sunday, April 29. Charging documents that detail exactly why Martinez was arrested were sealed on Detective Stan Devlin’s request months ago, and can only be unsealed by legal petition, according to deputy district attorney James Gibbons-Shapiro.
Martinez’ possible motive is unclear: Devlin said he’s still unsure what relationship – if any – existed between Martinez and Lugo. Still, Martinez’ waffling over his whereabouts that night raised Devlin’s suspicions – especially because others placed him near the alley.
But charges were dropped when DNA evidence failed to link Martinez to the crime, bringing detectives back to square one in solving the unlikely murder. Martinez, who is now jailed on unrelated charges, is still a suspect, said Devlin, but the case remains wide open.
“If he’s not the one, who is?” asked Nick Franco, a cashier at Franco’s Imports on Eighth Street who knew both Lugo and Martinez: Lugo as a frequent customer, Martinez as a teen who once cashed a fake check at the shop. “The guy’s got to be out there.”
Lugo, 56, was described by neighbors as a quiet, unassuming man, nicknamed ‘Juanito’ for his shortness. Shopowners off Monterey Street often saw him circling downtown on his bicycle, passing out religious pamphlets from his Eigleberry Street church, Familias para Cristo.
Days before his death, Lugo had booked a plane ticket home to Mexico, to care for his diabetic wife. Lugo joined his son Jose in Gilroy several years ago, and police believe he was on his way to a relative’s apartment, accessible from the alley, when he was killed.
The crime eludes many stock explanations. Devlin said there is no evidence that Lugo was involved in drugs, nor did he have known gang ties. If his murder was part of a robbery, it was an unsuccessful one: Cash was left in his wallet when he died. Neighbors reported no screams or fighting in the alley near the time of Lugo’s murder, which suggests that he was comfortable with his killer, Devlin said.
With few leads, Devlin is re-interviewing the people who saw either Martinez or Lugo that night. He’s narrowed the time of Lugo’s murder down to a 24-minute window between 12:30am and 12:54am, when his body was found. Devlin is not sure exactly when Lugo was last seen, but said he was riding his bicycle downtown, chatting with friends up and down Monterey Street.
Unfortunately, Devlin said, he can’t interview Martinez anymore: Since the 21-year-old was re-arrested in connection with a gang-related shooting, his lawyer has advised him against talking. His investigation is slowed somewhat by the need for translators, said Devlin, who doesn’t speak Spanish. Many of the people he interviews supply only nicknames, or shy away from speaking at all.
“People don’t want to talk,” said Gabriela Montero, a friend of Lugo’s who said the police have been “all over” her block. “They don’t want problems with the police.”
Lugo was widely believed to be gay, and was occasionally heckled by other men about his sexuality, Montero said. Devlin said there is “no foundation” to consider the murder a hate crime, and added that Lugo’s Bible, which Jose Lugo said had been taken – a detail that fueled speculation about the killer’s motives – was later found at Lugo’s home.
“It’s so hard to prove hate crimes,” said Wiggsy Sivertsen, chair of the countywide Network for a Hate Free Community, which monitors bias-motivated crimes. Sivertsen was familiar with the crime, which attracted the attention of the Network. “But to refuse to even consider it, I think, is a problem.”
Devlin is trying to locate Lugo’s ex-boyfriend, he said, though the unnamed man is not considered a suspect. The two split sometime before his murder, said Devlin, and the man may have information relevant to the case. He also hopes that the autopsy report, still being completed, will shed more light on the case.
“Anyone that has information – call,” said Devlin, who said police would keep tips in confidence as long as possible. “Is it right for this guy and his family not to get the person responsible?”
Anyone with information may call Detective Stan Devlin at 846-0350 or leave an anonymous tip at 846-0330.
