Two 21-year-old men shot dead outside home in ‘targeted attack,’ California cops say

Two 21-year-old men found shot dead outside a Watsonville home appear to have been “targeted,” California sheriff’s officials reported.

Jeremiah Rios Aguilera and Giovanni Aburto Lopez, both Watsonville residents, were found with gunshot wounds at 12:43 a.m. Friday, Oct. 4, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Both men were pronounced dead at the scene, deputies said.

Aguilera and Lopez, who were cousins, were found outside a home, KSBW reported.

The deaths occurred in a rural neighborhood surrounded by farms and a few homes, Lookout Santa Cruz reported.

In an Oct. 7 update to the news release, sheriff’s officials said they believe the two men died in a “targeted attack” and have opened a homicide investigation.

They ask anyone with information to call 831-471-1121.

Watsonville is about a 100-mile drive southeast from San Francisco.

This story was originally published October 8, 2024 at 10:33 AM with the headline "Two 21-year-old men shot dead outside home in ‘targeted attack,’ California cops say."