Stockton Homicide Rate Continues To Rise With 2 Weekend Murders

STOCKTON (CBS13) - The body count is rising as violence takes over, putting Stockton under fire.

Police have a new case to add to their growing number of investigations.

"He just always kept everyone in a great mood," said said one friend.

It's another day, another family mourning over another murder in Stockton.

"He's a friendly guy. He met the wrong friends, and that's just it," said another friend.

Anthony Holliday, 22, was gunned down inside his own home Saturday night by an welcomed guest.

Police would not give a suspect's name, and say an arrest has yet to be made.

It marks the second murder of the weekend. Jesse Jimenez, 68, was gunned down at a backyard barbeque, but no arrests in that case.

This time last year there were 26 murders in Stockton. With the two weekend killings, so far this year, it's at 45 dead.

Of those 45 cases this year, less than half have been solved, with 17 arrests.

"We're just right in the beginning of this whole concept, this whole policing strategy," said Officer Joe Silva.

Silva insisted they're doing more with less, defending the department's decision in June to take 22 of it's officers, and dedicate them to proactive police work.

"It's not an overnight solution where we can actually solve the crime problem, but what these teams have been doing since they've been out there is taking guns off the streets nightly," said Silva.

In fact, 70 arrests were netted this week he says, and 13 guns taken off the street.

However, for the families of the fallen, it's little consolation, but hope soon the violence will stop.