Nearly two weeks after a Gilroy man was found stabbed to death
in a downtown alley, police have no single suspect.
Gilroy – Nearly two weeks after a Gilroy man was found stabbed to death in a downtown alley, police have no single suspect.
The murder shocked friends and family of Juan Olviedo Lugo, a 56-year-old father often seen circling Monterey Street on his bicycle. Nicknamed ‘Juanito’ for his short height, Lugo had won neighbors’ hearts since he moved to Gilroy from Mexico, following his only son, 26-year-old Jose Guadalupe Lugo. Cashier Nick Franco remembered selling him sodas at Franco’s Imports on Old Gilroy Street, describing him as gentle and self-contained.
“He kept to himself,” Franco said, as he rang up groceries Friday afternoon. “He didn’t interfere with anybody.”
Lugo’s body was found riddled with stab wounds in the alley behind La Colonia Latina, 7261 Monterey St., at 12:54am Sunday, April 29. Police said he was stabbed multiple times, but declined to specify an exact number. Though police received no calls of noise or fighting beforehand, Detective Stan Devlin said Lugo was likely killed where his body was found, a few doors down from his nephew’s apartment. It wasn’t a gang clash, said Devlin, nor were drugs found on Lugo’s body or in his system. Lugo’s killers left cash in his wallet, but took his Bible, his son said. A devout Christian, Lugo carried his Bible everywhere, and often passed out leaflets for Familias Para Cristo, his Eigleberry Street church. His bicycle was found in the same alley, abandoned near his body.
Despite wide-ranging rumors that Lugo was gay, Devlin said the murder is not being investigated as a hate crime. Several neighbors mentioned Lugo’s sexuality when describing him after his death; Franco called him “feminine.” His son was familiar with the talk and dismissed it, saying that though others stereotyped his father’s mannerisms, “I never saw anything like that.”
A knife was found at the scene, likely the weapon used to kill Lugo, Devlin said. The weapon is one of several pieces of evidence undergoing DNA testing: Lugo’s bicycle was swabbed for DNA before detectives returned it to his son. Cameras posted behind Apatzingan Meat Market, a nearby grocery, haven’t helped the investigation, said Devlin, who is actively interviewing friends and acquaintances, seeking more clues.
In the wake of Lugo’s death, downtown shops set up collection boxes for the family, netting spare change and dollar bills to defray funeral costs. Familias Para Cristo, an Eigleberry Street Church, copied flyers with Lugo’s image, and left stacks inside Apatzingan Meat Market. Today, mourners will gather in San Jose to remember him, led by Pastor Pedro Zuno. The service is scheduled for 5pm, but the chapel will be open from 1 to 9pm.
Lugo’s death followed that of his brother, whose recent passing left Lugo’s wife Petra Acosta Vega alone in Mexico. Vega suffers from diabetes, and can’t walk, her son explained. After his brother died, Lugo planned to return to Mexico to care for her, and had booked a plane ticket home for Tuesday, May 1 – two days after his body was found. Days before he died, he chatted about his plans with his hairdresser, a man who calls Lugo his best friend.
“Everyone’s hearts are broken,” said the hairdresser, who asked that his name be withheld, fearing retribution. “People ask me why it happened, and nobody knows. All we can think is, maybe it was a mistake. Maybe they just meant to kill someone else.”
Anyone with information may call Detective Stan Devlin at 846-0350, or leave an anonymous tip at 846-0330.
