San Francisco Twin Peaks double homicide suspect has serious rap sheet
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- San Francisco police arrested a Richmond man accused of killing two men and shooting another at Twin Peaks. According to jail records, the suspect is 26-year-old Richmond resident Richard Contreras.
Police said Contreras has a serious rap sheet, but has served little jail time.
Police are still trying to figure out a motive. It remains a mystery whether it was gang related or if a dispute broke out between friends.
Someone placed a floral memorial Tuesday afternoon where the victims were shot.
It was an intense scene on San Pablo Avenue in Richmond Monday night as heavily armed SWAT officers entered a home where they spotted Contreras outside. They later searched the house, but did not find a gun.
Contreras is accused of killing 19-year-old Rene Mora and 21-year-old Julio Peraza, both from Santa Rosa.
Mora's father is devastated. "I know my son and from the bottom of my heart, I know he was very well liked," Rene Mora Sr. said.
Police said he critically injured a third 18-year-old man at Twin Peaks Lookout early Sunday morning. The man suffered life-threatening injuries.
Right after shooting the three men, the suspect locked eyes with a couple in town for the holiday weekend.
RELATED: Tourists speak out after deadly Twin Peaks shooting
They spoke exclusively to ABC7 News, saying the suspect pointed the gun at them and ordered them out of their SUV. "All I seen was the gun with this big clip in it and I instantly just looked down and pushed the unlock on my car and I said, 'babe get out the car," tourist Jessica Costa said.
Contreras allegedly stole their SUV, stranding them in the middle of a crime scene. "You just see puddles of blood right there and then on the other side of the wall you just see the other guy there," Costa said.
Fearing for their lives, they bolted out of the GMC Yukon Denali and started running.
RELATED: Twin Peaks shooting victim's family talks about recent arrest in Richmond
The suspect then took off in their vehicle and police later found it parked around the corner from a home in Richmond.
On Tuesday, the two Fresno tourists were asked to identify Contreras. Costa told ABC7 News he was the gunman who stole their SUV.
This isn't the first time Contreras is accused of stealing a vehicle. In 2014, police in Richmond said he smashed a stolen car into an AC Transit bus, which caused the bus to slam into a house, damage a gas line and injure at least 11 people. Officials said Contreras ran away from that crime scene as well.
Contreras pleaded guilty to stealing that car and to leaving the scene of an injury accident. He got one year in jail, but got 112 days credit for time served.
At the time, the young man was already on probation for multiple stolen vehicle crimes.
In February 2015, court records reveal that the court dismissed a murder charge against him.
He pleaded instead to first degree robbery, but he only served a portion of his two year jail time.
According to the jail records, Contreras faces two murder charges, one attempted murder charge, carjacking, possession of a firearm by a felon and assault with a semi-automatic weapon.
Contreras is currently being held at the San Francisco jail without bond.
Click here to make a donation to help Peraza's family pay for funeral expenses.
ABC7 News Reporter Tiffany Wilson contributed to this story.
