Second suspect arrested in homicide of Ceres mother

A second suspect has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a Ceres mother at a Modesto motel earlier this month.

Natasha Irizarry, 34, of Ceres was shot to death outside the room she was staying in at the Driftwood Inn on South Ninth Street on July 8.

Four days later Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Detectives arrested Juan Carlos Martinez, 31, of Modesto on suspicion of the murder. They also identified Luis Vega, 36, of Modesto as an accomplice who had not yet been located.

Vega turned himself in at the Stanislaus County Jail Tuesday night after learning of a warrant for his arrest, said Sgt. Erich Layton.

In addition to murder, both men have been charged with robbery and burglary for an incident that occurred at the motel just before the shooting.

Layton said the suspects allegedly pointed a gun at a man’s chest and robbed him of his cellphone.

According to the criminal complaint, both men face an enhancement to the murder charge alleging the crime occurred while the defendants were engaged in the commission of a robbery. Martinez alone also faces enhancements on all three charges for intentionally discharging a firearm, causing death to Irizarry.

Layton said Irizarry and the robbery victim were acquaintances but he did not know if they were staying at the hotel together. He said detectives are not releasing information about the motive or saying whether Irizarry witnessed the robbery.

Family and friends of Irizarry said she was a hardworking single mother of three daughters, ages 13, 14, 16 and a caregiver for her ailing mother and grandmother.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help raise money for Irizarry’s funeral service and to aid in the care of her daughters.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Detective Juan Rodriguez at 209-558-1282 or crime stoppers Stanislaus County Area Crime Stoppers at 1-866-60-CRIME.