Three arrests made in fatal drive-by shooting of SJ father

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Friday, October 10, 2014
Richard Watkins and his two daughters
Richard Watkins and his two daughters
KGO-KGO

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Three suspects have been arrested following the killing of a man last month by a stray bullet outside of his San Jose home, police said Thursday.

Michael Castro, 23, and Alexander Marquez Reyna, 23, were arrested on Sept. 28 -- Castro in Gilroy and Reyna in San Jose -- and the third suspect, Luis Gonzales, 24, was arrested Sept. 30 in San Jose, according to police Officer Albert Morales.

The suspects, all residents of San Jose, were booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of killing 24-year-old Richard Watkins in a shooting reported at 9:20 p.m. on Sept. 27 in the 100 block of Azucar Avenue, Morales said.

Watkins was outside of his home and waiting for a relative, who had arrived by car and was trying to find a place to park on the street when someone started shooting at the relative, police said. Investigators believe the father of two was an innocent bystander, and a man who spent his spare time with his family and the San Jose Saints Pop Warner teams.

The relative avoided being hit by the gunfire but a bullet struck Watkins, according to police.

Watkins was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Investigators determined that neither Watkins nor his relative did anything to provoke the shooting and they are not members of a criminal street gang, police said.

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