November 3, 2021 - Merced – On October 30, 2021, at 11:13 P.M., Merced Police Officers responded to the 100 block of East Main Street in the city of Merced for a report of shots fired in the area. Responding officers went to a residence on East Main Street and located two gunshot victims. One of the victims got transported to a regional trauma center. The other victim, 33-year-old Christina Velez of Merced, succumbed to her injuries at the scene.

Detectives and crime scene personnel responded to the scene to take over the investigation. Detectives learned there was an exchange of gunfire at the residence in what appears to be an attempted drug related robbery. Detectives were able to identify 22-year-old Emari Prescott as a suspect. Prescott was shot during the exchange of gunfire. Detectives arrested Prescott after they determined he sought out medical treatment at a hospital out of the area. Prescott was booked into the Merced County Jail for murder, 2 counts of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, shooting at an occupied dwelling, and for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

This case remains under investigation. Detectives are still pursuing leads and attempting to identify any other suspects that may have been involved in this homicide.

Case Number: 21-65996

Merced Police are asking anyone with any information regarding this incident to contact Detective Odom at 209-388-7814 or by email at odoms@cityofmerced.org.

Other ways to contact us or report crime include:

For any emergency call or text 911

For non-emergency call 209-385-6912

Anonymous Tip Line (Non-emergency) call 209-385-4725

Anonymous Tips online at http://www.mercedareacrimestoppers.org/index.html.

Some crimes can be reported online through the Merced PD website https://www.cityofmerced.org/departments/police.

Source: Merced Police Department

Related: Two People Shot, Woman Killed in Deadly Shootout in Merced, California