California woman fatally shot, allegedly by man previously arrested for stalking her

TURLOCK, Calif. (TCD) -- A 22-year-old woman was fatally shot this week by a man police say had previously been arrested for stalking her.

In a statement, the Turlock Police Department said officers responded to a shooting call Tuesday, March 8, at 8 p.m. near Geer Road and Wayside Drive. Police reportedly saw a light-colored sedan fleeing the area and attempted a vehicle stop. The car crashed at the 1300 block of North Quincy Road, and the driver, 22-year-old Juan Francisco Ibarra-Tapia, fled on foot.

At the shooting scene, officers reportedly found 22-year-old Zobeyda Esquerra suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. First responders attempted lifesaving measures and transported her to a nearby hospital, where she later died from her injuries.

Turlock Police reportedly sent lockdown orders to nearby residents as they searched for Ibarra-Tapia. He was eventually located and taken into custody without incident.

According to Turlock Police, Ibarra-Tapia reportedly knew Esquerra and was arrested in October 2021 for stalking her. He was later released on bail.

Around the same time Esquerra was shot, Ibarra-Tapia allegedly shot at two other employees at O’Reilly Auto Parts, though they were not injured. Detectives reportedly concluded this was "not a random act of violence."

Ibarra-Tapia was taken into custody for homicide, two counts of attempted homicide, two counts of discharging a firearm in the commission of a felony, and one count of evading. He is being held at the Stanislaus County Jail without bail.

Police said they recovered the firearm allegedly used in the shooting.

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