On Sunday, May 2nd, 2021, at approximately 8:50 pm, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a shooting that had just occurred at Martha Ave and Seventh St in the community of Keyes. Sheriff’s deputies responded along with Keyes Fire Protection District Engine 40 and American Medical Response.
Keyes Fire personnel arrived on scene, later joined by American Medical Response, and began life-saving efforts on a teenage victim, identified as Evan Robinson, 16, of Modesto, who, unfortunately, succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Sheriff’s deputies began their investigation and learned that several people were eating at nearby taco trucks when a fight broke out. At that point, shots began to be fired and Robinson was accidentally struck by them. Witnesses reported a silver car, possibly a Toyota Corolla, speeding away the scene. It is believed to be the suspect vehicle.
At some point during the investigation, detectives were able to identify Ruben Perez, 19, of Keyes, as a suspect. Detectives determined that Perez was on probation for aggravated assault and regularly attended classes at the Probation Department’s Day Reporting Center located on the same campus as the Sheriff’s Office. Detectives and other deputies set up at the Day Reporting Center on Wednesday, June 16th, 2021 and waited for Perez to arrive at one of his classes to take him into custody. At 1:30 pm, Perez arrived and was safely taken into custody by deputies. After being interrogated by detectives, Perez was booked into the Stanislaus County Public Safety Center on one count of homicide.
At another point during the investigation, detectives were also able to identify Anthony Joseph Pando, 22, of Ceres, as another suspect. For an unknown reason, on Thursday, June 17th, 2021, at approximately 2:55 pm, the Medford Police Department in Oregon made contact with Pando during a traffic stop, and upon conducting a records check on him, revealed that he was wanted in connection to this case. They arrested Pando and booked him into their jail, awaiting extradition back to Stanislaus County.
The investigation remains on-going. Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Detective David Hickman at 209-525-7042 or by email at DHickman@stansheriff.com.
