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The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety SWAT team descended on East Palo Alto in the early morning of Jan. 9 to arrest suspect Vicente Aguilera-Chavez in relation to a cold case murder that occurred in Sunnyvale in 2017.
Another suspect, Agustin Sandoval, was arrested in Escalon the next day.
On June 8, 2017, Sunnyvale police responded to a shooting in the 900 block of E. Duane Ave., Sunnyvale, where they discovered two male victims who had been shot, according to a press release. One victim died and the other was transported to a local hospital, where he survived.
Despite an “extensive investigation,” the case went cold, according to the press release.
In 2024, Sunnyvale police, with the help of the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, identified two of the suspects and worked with multiple agencies to arrest them. The East Palo Alto Police Department was on standby during the arrest of Aguilera-Chavez in East Palo Alto but did not play an active role.
“We extend our sincere appreciation to the Stockton and East Palo Alto Police Departments, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office Cold Case Unit and Gang Team, for their assistance,” wrote Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Captain Dzanh Le.
Community Nextdoor posts suspected Sunnyvale’s police activity was connected to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but authorities confirmed that the arrest was unrelated to any ICE activity.
While Le did not go into further details about the case, he said the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information should contact detective Matt Hutchison at (408) 730-7110.
