Inmate Linked To Missing South Bay Man's 2021 Killing: Cops

SAN JOSÉ, CA — A man already in custody on homicide charges has been charged in connection with a another killing, San José police said.

Ricardo Padilla, 34 of San José, was arrested in July 2021 in connection with a crime spree that occurred over a period of nearly two months in Santa Clara and Alameda counties in which one person was killed and several others were injured including a Livermore officer, police said.

Homicide investigators determined that Padilla shot and killed Samuel Torres, 43 of San José, in the area of Coyote Creek near Wool Creek, police said. Torres was reported missing July 4, 2021, according to police.

“The Department’s Homicide Unit in collaboration with the Missing Persons Unit, Assaults Unit, Gang Investigations Unit, Street Crimes Unit, Violent Crime Enforcement Team (VCET), and Crime Analysis Unit were instrumental in identifying and investigating this violent crime spree which resulted in the arrest and filing of violent charges against Padilla,” the SJPD said in a news release.

Padilla was already in custody in connection with a crime spree from May 9 to July 4 of 2021, police said.

The crime spree involved these incidents:

• May 9, 2021, a stabbing incident occurred in the area of S. 2nd Street and Margaret Street in San José involving suspect Padilla.
• May 11, 2021, suspect Padilla was responsible for an unprovoked assault on a male outside of a 7-11 store in the 600 Block of Bird Avenue. In addition, on that same day, suspect Padilla was involved in a separate stabbing incident that occurred near Coyote Creek.
• May 31, 2021, Padilla shot and killed victim Thomas Calamia in the area of Prevost Street and West Virginia Street. He was later identified as the primary suspect. (Homicide #17)
• June 4, 2021, a Livermore Police Officer conducted a vehicle stop involving suspect Padilla. Padilla reversed his vehicle and struck the Officer’s motorcycle, and subsequently fled the city of Livermore. An arrest warrant was sought and eventually issued for attempted murder charges on Padilla for this incident.
• June 22, 2021, a shooting incident occurred on Berkeley Way in the city of San José, in which the victim survived and later identified Padilla as the suspect.
• July 4, 2021, suspect Padilla was contacted by Department Officers in the area of Coyote Creek. Upon contact, suspect Padilla attempted to discard a firearm. He was ultimately arrested and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail where he is still in custody to this day.

This is San José’s 32nd reported homicide 0f 2021.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Vallejo #3810 or Detective Harrington #4365 of the San José Police Department’s Homicide Unit via email: 3810@sanjoseca.gov and/or 4365@sanjoseca.gov or at 408-277-5283.