STOCKTON - Just as investigators began wrapping their minds around a homicide scene, they're abruptly called to another killing. Then another. And another.
A wave of slayings that began with a brazen daylight shooting at a McDonald's on Saturday had police leaping from one crime scene to another in the 51 hours that followed.
Monday's triple murder-suicide, involving a marriage therapist who killed his ex-wife, her sister and their 88-year-old aunt before taking his own life, capped the violent spree that left Stockton with 59 homicides so far this year, the most in its history.
"This past weekend was obviously one of the most violent weekends we've had in Stockton in years," Stockton police spokesman Officer Joe Silva said.
Silva said investigating teams worked around the clock to solve the grisly crimes, even relying on detectives from other units to help interview witnesses and process crime scenes.
"Right now, we're working the best we can with limited resources," Silva said.
The department has not yet quantified the amount of resources used over that period, but Silva said that at each homicide, about four patrol officers secure the area from the public and start identifying witnesses; each homicide needs a minimum of three detectives and one to two evidence technicians to gather evidence.
Police were called to the first slaying at 12:25 p.m. Saturday outside the McDonald's on Wilson Way, where Dennis Martin Jr., 38, had been fatally shot.
That same evening at 10:49 p.m. a woman and a man were shot while parked in a car near Mist Trail and Paintbrush drives in Weston Ranch. The woman, 27-year-old Denise Lemberg, died the next day. The man, whose identity was not released, survived the assault.
Hours later, at 12.35 a.m. Sunday, a 23-year-old man was shot outside a bar in a parking lot in the 5100 block of North West Lane. He died on Monday, and his identity has yet to be released.
Police said the bar shooting followed a disturbance in the parking lot.
Investigators were summoned to the 300 block of Burkett Avenue in south Stockton at 12:46 a.m. Monday for a double homicide. A 23-year-old man had been shot and killed inside an apartment, and a 31-year-old man lay outside with gunshot wounds. Police believe the incident was gang related.
The 23-year-old victim was a documented gang member, and the 31-year-old victim was a parolee. Authorities have not identified the two.
As homicide detectives worked that case, they were called to two shootings 20 minutes and six miles apart in which Jackie Arata, 57, Kathleen Arata, 64, and Chizuko Kenieski, 88, were slain and the suspect, Colin McGrattan, 45, took his life.
"You can imagine, they're doing one and get a call for another," Silva said. "You're basically dropping everything you're doing on that first case to start the second case ... knowing you have it in the back of your mind.
"That is frustrating because we know we have work that needs to be done on that first case."
Detectives from the property crimes, sexual assault and domestic violence units assisted in the investigations.
Most of the weekend killings were unrelated incidents, although it doesn't change the fact that violent crime is up, said Police Chief Eric Jones.
"I'm certainly aware that the public sentiment is fearful right now," Jones said.
That's one of the reasons Jones went to the scene Monday at O'Connor Woods, he said. The other was to check on his staff.
"They've been working tirelessly," Jones said. "It's difficult work, and it's difficult to see what they see, as well."
Some investigators have been working 24 hours straight before they take a break, Silva said.
Jones said investigators have expressed "nothing more than their interest in closing the case in the best way possible," adding that, despite department cutbacks during city budget woes, they have exhibit professionalism and strong ethics.
"They're concerned not for themselves but for the victims," he said. "I couldn't be more proud to be leading the department right now."
Even for seasoned officers, such grisly scenes can take a toll, and the police chaplain program is available to the officers as well as victims, Jones said. Chaplains were available to the officers over the weekend, offering water, food and support. And a peer support network offers confidential support.
Silva said the public has become more willing to contribute and understands the Police Department is understaffed.
McGrattan's string of violence, for example, was discovered with the help of a witness who described the minivan leaving the Regent Street location.
"I can't stress enough that we still need them to keep doing that," Silva said.
Silva added that tips provided to police through text messages and the department's Facebook account have helped crack cases, including the recent shut-down of a drug house.
Contact reporter Jennie Rodriguez-Moore at (209) 943-8564 or jrodriguez@recordnet.com. Visit her blog at recordnet.com/courtsblog.
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