Four Arrested in Hayward Homicide Investigation

Four men, including two from Union City, were arrested in an ongoing Hayward homicide investigation Thursday morning.

The arrests, made at various locations in Hayward and Union City, were the result of an intense investigation following the fatal shooting of Jesus Guzman, a 24-year-old Hayward man who was gunned down at a party on the 27000 block of Tyrrell Avenue in Hayward last October, said Sgt. Steve Brown of the Hayward Police Department.

All suspects arrested Thursday in connection with the killing were members of a prolific Hayward street gang, Brown said.

At 7 a.m., Hayward police, assisted by the Union City and Newark SWAT team, served a probable cause warrant at a home on the 31300 block of San Andreas Drive in Union City. They arrested Rafael Mejia, 21, of Union City, on suspicion of homicide and conspiracy to commit murder, according to Brown. Another person at the home was also taken into custody for violating probation by associating with known gang members, Brown said.

Continuing their sweep, police later arrested Shante Moore, 20, at a home on Eastman Street in Hayward, also on suspicion of homicide and conspiracy. Moore's primary address was listed as a home on Periwinkle Drive in Union City, Brown said. While searching for Moore at another address on Cypress Avenue in Hayward earlier in the morning, police made two arrests for probation violations, Brown said.

Police also arrested Hayward residents Adam Mello, 25, and Jorge Tavelmorataya, 26, at separate locations in Hayward, both on suspicion of homicide and conspiracy.

All arrests were made without incident, Brown said.

The four murder suspects are scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday, May 31, at 2 p.m. at the Hayward Hall of Justice.

According to media reports, Guzman was shot after an argument about 2:45 a.m. on Oct. 2, 2010. Officers were en route to a report of a fight at the address when they received an additional call of shots fired. Police found Guzman suffering from at least one gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Additional suspects involved in Guzman’s slaying are still at large and the investigation is ongoing, Brown said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Hayward Police Department at 510-293-7034.