Police recently arrested two people—including a Hollister resident—on suspicion of killing a woman in Sunnyvale earlier this year.
On March 5, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety SWAT team responded to an address on Hemlock Court in Hollister. Officers arrested Alfonso Inestroza, also known as Franquin Inestroza-Martinez, in connection with the Jan. 5 homicide of Kembery Chirinos-Flores in Sunnyvale.
Also on March 5, authorities arrested a second suspect in Sunnyvale in relation to the homicide. Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety Chief Dan Pistor, during a March 9 press conference, identified the second suspect as Gerzon Chirinos, also known as Gerzon Chirinos-Munguia.
Both suspects were arrested “without incident.”
Chirinos-Flores, a 24-year-old Mountain View resident, was shot to death inside her vehicle in the area of 1225 Vienna Drive in Sunnyvale, Pistor said. Officers responded to reports of the shooting about 9:39pm. Chirinos-Flores was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspects fled the area before officers arrived. Authorities investigated and identified Inestroza and Chirinos as the primary suspects, Pistor said. The investigation is “active and ongoing.”
The arrests on March 5 were the result of a “coordinated operation, which spanned two counties and involved multiple law enforcement agencies,” Pistor said. Both suspects were booked at Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of murder.
Inestroza also had a warrant for his arrest from New Jersey, for an unrelated murder investigation.
“I can only imagine the profound pain and grief Kembery’s family is experiencing during this difficult time,” Pistor said. “Kembery was in the prime of her life. She was working two jobs to make ends meet. And she was a loving mother of a 5-year-old son.”
He added, “This was a tragic, senseless act of violence, that is, fortunately, extremely rare in our city.”
The victim had a previous “dating relationship” with Chirinos, and the two had a child together, Pistor said. He also has a previous domestic violence conviction, involving a different victim, from 2018.
In response to a question from the press, Pistor declined to describe how the two suspects know each other due to the ongoing investigation.
Detectives have also recovered a shotgun they think was used in the homicide. Pistor did not say when or where the firearm was found.
Chirinos-Flores’s child is “safe and unharmed,” and currently in the custody of Santa Clara County Child Protective Services.
“These arrests are the result of tireless work and dedication by our detectives,” Pistor said. “They worked around the clock to follow leads, gather evidence and move this investigation forward. Their commitment to seek injustice for Kembery reflects the professionalism and determination of the men and women of the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety.”
