Press Release

Sunday, January 15, 2023

PRESS RELEASE: Shooting Downtown Results in Second Homicide of 2023

Turlock, CA – The Turlock Police Department received a 9-1-1 call this morning at 1:38 a.m. reporting a shooting behind the Udder Place and Grand Cru in downtown Turlock. Officers were immediately dispatched to the reported location and found a 31-year old male victim, identified as Robert Morgan of Turlock, laying on the ground and CPR was in process by uninvolved persons.

Morgan suffered multiple gunshot wounds; officers assisted with emergency medical care until the ambulance arrived and transported the victim to a local area hospital, and at 2:16 a.m. he died as a result of his injuries. Next of kin has been notified.

Detective-Sergeant Victor Barcelos has indicated that the two shootings over the weekend were unrelated.

During preliminary interviews, officers learned that Morgan worked security at Grand Cru, but had a day off and was on premises with friends. While inside the bar, Grand Cru’s security was involved in an altercation with several male patrons of Hispanic descent. Security was able to move the involved parties outside, but the fight continued, and Morgan stepped in while off duty to assist his co-workers.

Morgan was reportedly in a physical altercation with another man near the rear of The Udder Place, and during this time an unidentified occupant of a dark colored sedan stopped, got out, and fired multiple gunshots at the victim before getting back into the vehicle and fleeing the scene.

The perimeter of this crime scene was contained and detectives are in the process of examining evidence including video surveillance, and conducting interviews with relevant parties. Additional resources including the Major Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) and Special Investigations Unit (SIU) were brought in to support Detectives in the investigation and use specialized equipment to process the crime scene.

Jerry Powell, owner of Grand Cru, has voluntarily closed for two weeks to review internal processes and procedures related to evaluating and improving safety measures at this 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 a valued staff member and friend,” said Turlock Chief of Police 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.”

The Turlock Police Department asks that anyone with information about this investigation to call Detective Raul Garcia at (209) 664-7314. You can also contact the Turlock Police Department’s Tip Line at (209) 668-5550 extension 6780 or email at tpdtipline@turlock.ca.us.

The Turlock Police Department is an active participant in the Crime Stoppers Program. Callers can leave an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at (209) 521-4636 and may be eligible for a cash reward.

For additional information, follow our social media pages on Facebook and Twitter.





Back to Press Releases