Patterson Cemetery District, Stanislaus County, CA 

Submitted by Gale Stroud and Burta Herger 26 Aug 2007

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Deyto Avelino D  870604 p1 and p1b
State Employee Murdered; Word of a grisly murder at the mouth of Del Puerto Canyon raced through the Patterson
community early Wednesday morning. Although details were sketchy and few were being released by late afternoon by
the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department, it was learned that a State employee with Caltrans had been killed by
multiple shotgun blasts fired from short range. The dead man had not been positively identified by early afternoon
Wednesday, but it is believed he was a Caltrans engineer working out of the Los Banos area. He was driving a small,
state-owned two door auto.  Unofficial information indicates a 12-gauge shotgun was used to fire as many as six shots
into the vehicle from the driver s side. As many as four spent shells were observed on the asphalt roadway.  The white
car was in a parked position off of the roadway, heading in an easterly direction out of the canyon. One blast from the
shotgun struck the windshield, while others blew out the passenger side window.  The dead man was struck several times
in the neck and side of the head. His age could not be estimated at the scene. The shooting occurred less than 300 yards
up the canyon road from 1-5, and the auto was easily visible from the freeway.  Sheriff s Sgt. Richard McFarren of the
Detective Division said the murder could have occurred anytime between 3:30 and 5 a.m. Wednesday.  It is believed a
young man and woman from outside this area happened across the murder scene and notified authorities at about 5:15
a.m. They returned to the scene and were told to wait for questioning.  The Patterson paramedics were dispatched to the
scene, and the Patterson Fire Department was soon called to set up roadblocks on both sides of the state car.  Also
arriving soon after the emergency call went out was a state Department of Fish and Game vehicle with two officers. They
apparently had been further up the canyon.  Officials from the Sheriffs Department and coroner s office arrived by 7
a.m:, but no traffic was allowed past the death scene. Turned back from the east was a small school bus driven by
Rosemarie Lara. who was headed to Frank Raines Park to pick up students for the Patterson Unified School District.
They were driven to school by Pat Graham later in the morning. July 2, 1987 Patterson Irrigator identifies person as
Avelino D. Deyto.

Deyto Avelino D 870702 p1
Murder Mystery Continues; The Investigation into the June 3 murder of a Caltrans engineer in Del Puerto Canyon has
resulted in vague leads at best, and a County sheriff official said no suspect or motive has been found. The month long
search for clues to explain why Avelino Diesto Deyto, 44, of Daly City was shot seven times with a 12-gauge shotgun
has been virtually without leads. Only bits and pieces of Deyto s last day have been worked into place, although none of
the information has benefitted the investigation to date, according to the sheriff.