On Sunday, January 15th, 2023, at 12:17 pm, we received additional information about the homicide that had occurred early that morning behind The Udder Place, 110 W Main St, Turlock.
The victim who succumbed to his injuries at the hospital has been identified as Robert Morgan, 31, of Turlock.
So far, the investigation has revealed that Morgan was a security guard at The Grand Cru, but had a day off and was hanging out with friends at the bar. While there, on-duty security guards got involved in an altercation with several Hispanic male patrons and were able to move them outside. The altercation continued outside and Morgan stepped out to assist his on-duty coworkers.
Morgan was reportedly in an altercation with someone behind The Udder Place when an unidentified occupant of a dark-colored sedan stopped, got out, and fired multiple shots at Morgan before getting back into the sedan and fleeing the scene.
According to Turlock Police Sergeant Victor Barcelos, this homicide and the one from the prior morning are unrelated.
Detectives continue to investigate the incident with the assistance of investigators from the department’s Special Investigations Unit and Major Accident Investigations Team.
Jerry Powell, who owns The Udder Place, The Grand Cru, and Cuts Steakhouse, has voluntarily closed The Grand Cru for two weeks to review internal procedures related to evaluating and improving safety measures at the establishment.
“I had a discussion with Mr. Powell regarding this tragedy at Grand Cru, and he let me know he is heartbroken at the loss of a valued staff member and friend,” said Turlock Police Chief Jason Hedden. “He also informed me that he is closing his business immediately to conduct a review and ensure that Grand Cru is a safe place for both patrons and employees. I am employing new, state-of-the-art technologies and resources to combat violent crime in our city to keep our residents and businesses safe and secure. We will not tolerate this kind of activity and want our residents to know we are working hard and will continue to update the public as information can be shared during these investigations,” he continued.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information that could assist in it is encouraged to call Turlock Police Detective Raul Garcia at 209-664-7314.
