STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA – A former California Highway Patrol officer, identified as 35-year-old Miguel Lopez-Cuen, died Thursday morning after an apparent attempted murder-suicide near a Stockton gym — a case now linked to a homicide investigation in Orange County, according to authorities.
Deadly Shooting Unfolds Near Fitness Center
At approximately 7:58 a.m., Stockton Police responded to reports of a shooting in the 800 block of West Eight Mile Road, near the Elkhorn Athletic Club. Officers arrived to find two men with gunshot wounds and recovered a firearm at the scene.
Lopez-Cuen was pronounced dead, while the second victim, a 54-year-old man, was rushed to a hospital in critical condition as of Thursday evening. Investigators confirmed the two men knew each other, though the motive behind the shooting is still under review.
Orange County Homicide Connected to Stockton Incident
Hours earlier, officers in Garden Grove responded to a welfare check at a rental home on Morgan Lane, where they discovered Crystal Gonzales, Lopez-Cuen’s wife, dead inside the residence. The couple’s two children, both minors, were present but unharmed and unaware of what had occurred, police said.
Garden Grove Police said there were no signs of forced entry, and Lopez-Cuen was not at the home when officers arrived. The location was reportedly a short-term rental, and the victim was identified as Lopez-Cuen’s wife and the children’s mother.
Upon learning that Lopez-Cuen’s vehicle was located in Stockton, Garden Grove investigators contacted local police — leading to the discovery of his involvement in the fatal shooting that same morning.
CHP Confirms Former Officer’s Employment History
On Friday, the California Highway Patrol issued a statement acknowledging Lopez-Cuen’s involvement and clarifying that he had separated from the department in August 2022.
“The alleged conduct of this former employee does not reflect the professionalism of the thousands of CHP members who pledge to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and Security to the people of California,” the agency said.
Lopez-Cuen joined CHP in 2017 and was assigned to the Hayward office before transferring to Stockton in 2020.
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