WSPD needs help to solve cold case
The Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD) is asking for help in solving the murder of 18-year-old Angel Benardino Gonzales, who was shot and killed at an apartment complex near North Cherry Street last year.
During the monthly Public Safety News Conference on Tuesday, Dec. 12, the WSPD released a video asking for public assistance to bring those to justice who are responsible. The video is part of an ongoing series designed to help solve cold cases from 2016.
Here’s what we know about the case: On the night of Sep. 29, police were dispatched to the Cambridge Apartments on reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, police found Gonzales lying dead in the parking lot with a gunshot wound to the back of his head. After further investigation, the WSPD concluded that Gonzalez was the victim of gunfire that was intended for someone else.
In the video available on the city’s YouTube channel, Det. Scott York said, the shooter or shooters hid in a wooded area behind the apartment complex and fired several rounds. Witnesses say shortly before the shooting, a four-door sedan crept slowly through the apartment complex, but the occupants of the vehicle couldn’t be seen.
Another witness, who is believed to be a gang member, told police that he may have been the intended target. When discussing the crime Det. Scott said, “Mr. Gonzalez is truly an innocent victim. He was just standing in the parking lot talking to his friends and got caught up in a situation not intended for him.”
The video released by the WSPD can be viewed on the City of Winston-Salem YouTube Channel. Anyone with information on the murder of Angel Bernardino Gonzales is encouraged to contact the WSPD at 336-773-700 or CrimeStoppers at 336-727-2800.
