ATWATER - After nearly eight weeks of investigation the Atwater Police Department has identified its prime suspect in the homicide of the former Merced Couny District Attorney’s son Ethan Morse. Surveillance cameras captured video the suspect Dagoberto Franco Penaloza (26) near the crime scene the day of the murder.
Atwater Detectives say he did not attempt to make a quick getaway. In fact, Atwater's police chief thinks he may have actually passed him. "He did walk out of the area, and he walked through town. If we'd had a better description, I might have caught him," said police chief Michael Salvador. "He walked right by my position as I was driving to the homicide scene."
The suspect is described at being a Hispanic male adult, 5’9” and approximately 170 lbs. His last known address is 2712 Fordham St. in East Palo Alto, CA. Penaloza is known to frequent the area to work in the landscaping industry and has ties to the Bay Area, Modesto and Red Bluff areas as well.
On the morning of March 15, 2019 the son of former Merced County District Attorney Larry Morse II was found fatally shot at an Atwater home. Atwater Police began receiving reports of shots fired in the area of Winton Way and Fir Avenue.
Officers arrived on scene and found a male seated in the driver’s seat of a black sedan who had sustained at least two gunshot wounds. Cal-Fire personnel and Riggs Ambulance arrived at the scene and began life saving efforts before the victim was ultimately transported to a Merced hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The victim was identified as 22-year-old Ethan Morse of Merced. Witnesses described the shooter as a Hispanic male with a dark shirt last seen running eastbound on Fir Avenue. Three nearby schools were placed on lockdown after the shooting.
Ethan Morse was one of three sons to Larry Morse II and wife attorney Cindy Morse. He was a varsity wrestler at Golden Valley High School, where he graduated from in 2014.
He was also the defendant in a 2013 Atwater murder case where the judge declared him factually innocent of the charges. Following the trial the younger Morse filed a civil lawsuit the County of Merced for being falsely arrested and a Federal jury found in his favor. The jury also uled Merced County Sheriff’s detectives deceived a judge into signing an arrest warrant for Morse in July 2014. Morse was awarded $498,300 in damages.
Detectives still don't know why Ethan Morse was killed or whether he ever knew Penaloza. They have, however, secured a $1 million warrant for Penaloza’ s arrest. Atwater Police also say Penaloza is wanted for a 2017 Thanksgiving attempted homicide in city of Menlo Park. There is an $11 million warrant for his arrest in connection to that crime. He has no other significant criminal history.
Penaloza is considered armed and extremely dangerous. If you see him, do not approach him and contact law enforcement immediately. Anyone with information that they believe may pertain to this investigation is encouraged to call the Atwater Police Department at (209) 357-6396, the Investigations Division at (209) 357-6384 or Merced Area Crime Stoppers at (855) 725-2420. Via text at: 274637 (Type Merced and your information).
