Full Notification

NEWS RELEASE
Release Date: April 19, 2017
Modesto Police Department
Media Relations Unit
Office of the Chief of Police
600 10th Street, Modesto, CA 95354
Author: Heather Graves

Modesto, CA – An arrest was made for the April 9th murder of a Modesto man.

On Sunday, April 9, 2017 at about 11:15 p.m., a sergeant patrolling the Tioga Drive/Legion Park Drive area discovered a suspicious vehicle parked in the field, west of the intersection. When the sergeant attempted to contact the man inside, he found that the victim was deceased.

The preliminary investigation suggests that the victim, identified as 55-year-old Steve Monkhouse, was inside his vehicle, parked in the field, when he was assaulted with a knife.

Last night, 25-year-old Michael Christopher Suarez of Modesto was arrested for Monkhouse’s murder. Detectives attribute Suarez’s arrest to the community who helped to identify and capture Suarez.

Please note that this release is intended to be a brief update of events based on preliminary information. As we continue our investigation, we welcome any information that would help us better understand what took place. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 209-521-4636. Callers to Crime Stoppers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Tipsters may also text information to Crime Stoppers at 274637. Just type “TIP704” along with your message.

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