Fairfield police

Young Couple Arrested After Gunshot Death of Fairfield Teen, Son of City Crime Commissioner

Police in Modesto on Wednesday arrested a young pair in connection with the shooting death of a Fairfield teen, who was the son of a city crime commissioner.

Fairfield police said James Cruz, 20, and Gisela Rodriguez, 19, were taken into custody in Modesto, where they were wanted for questioning in connection with the Feb. 25 death of Aaron Malave, 19, who was killed in the 1000 block of Wood Hollow Circle.

Cruz was arrested on one count of murder, and Rodriguez on one count of being an accessory to murder.

The Daily Republic first reported that Malave was the son of Ivonne Malave, who served in 2014 on the Mayor’s Commission on Crime. Whether that fact is related to the teen's death has not been made clear.

Fairfield Police Sgt. Matt Bloesch told NBC Bay Area he didn't know the motive for the homicide.

He said the arrests came about in an almost "random" why while police were investigating a separate crime. Cruz was at the home where police arrested a suspect in connection with the other case.

Modesto police were aware Fairfield police wanted to talk to Cruz regarding Malaeve's death, according to Bloesch, and when Modesto police ran Cruz's name through their database, Rodriguez's name also came up. Both were arrested. He didn't elaborate further.

After Malave was killed, police said he was driven to the hospital that night by a "juvenile female and an adult male." Bloesch declined to say whether those two were Cruz and Rodriguez. At the time, police also said six adults and one youth "were contacted" in relation to the death.

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