MERCED, CA (KMJ) – Three Norteno gang members are arrested by Merced Police for the murder of a ranch manager.
Back on January 24, 2019, Jeff Bergeron, the Castle Farms ranch manager was found murdered at his house on the 4300 Block Bixby Way near Bancroft Drive.
Merced Police were conducting a welfare check and found the 50-year-old man’s body in an upstairs bedroom.
Bergeron was a Fresno State alumnus, and had recently been featured in Valley Ag Magazine.
A gofundme page was started shortly after his murder for his young daughter’s education: https://www.gofundme.com/in-memory-jeff-h-bergeron
On January 25, 2019, Merced Police Department detectives began investigating the murder.
Over the last two months, detectives were able to identify four suspects they believe are connected to the slaying.
The suspects were identified as 26-year-old Louie Gonzales, 24-year-old Felipe Heredia and 24-year-old Christopher Olvera.
Merced Police said they are all Norteno gang members who are from the Merced area.
On April 3, 2019, detectives from the Merced Police Department, with the assistance of MAGNET and the Gang Violence Suppression Unit, were able to take all three men into custody.
They were arrested and booked into the Merced County Jail on murder charges with a gang enhancement.
On Thursday, April 4, 2019 Merced Police posted the suspects photos on Facebook.
Merced Police are asking anyone with any information regarding this crime to contact Detective Kalvin Haygood at (209) 385-6998. The public can send information via anonymous text messages to police department by dialing “TIP411” (847411) and including the word “Comvip” as the “keyword” in the text message.
Click to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
