A California man has been charged in a triple murder after police failed to arrest him the day before following a report of domestic violence against one of the victims.
Joseph Vicencio has been charged with murder, according to the San Jose Police Department.
Police said they were called to the home just after midnight last Tuesday after receiving calls of gunshots and a woman screaming. When officers arrived, they found a woman — later identified in court records as 26-year-old Tarrah Lynn Taylor — outside with “at least one gunshot wound.
She was taken to a hospital, where she died. Inside the home, officers found another woman — Taylor’s roommate, 24-year-old roommate Jeannessa Lurie — and 26-year-old Max Ryan, both suffering from gunshot wounds. According to KTVU, Lurie was pronounced dead at the scene, and Ryan died later at a hospital.
Court documents say Taylor reported that Vicencio had punched her in the face and strangled her on Sunday, making the report just hours before the fatal shooting on Monday.
“Detectives observed marks on Tarrah’s throat consistent with her statement that she was strangled the day prior,” a statement of facts said.
The statement also said police had reviewed surveillance footage, confirming the suspect was Vicencio. Police did not describe the relationship between Vicencio and Taylor but did characterize the assault against Taylor as domestic violence.
The documents do not say why Vicencio was not arrested, and hours later, he returned to the home and killed Taylor, Lurie, and Ryan.
“Our Detectives acted swiftly, working around the clock to put this violent suspect behind bars,” Police Chief Paul Joseph stated. “But that doesn’t change the fact that three innocent lives were taken. This tragedy has affected the families of the three victims, the suspect’s family, and our entire San José community. I hope that as the case moves through the justice system and this suspect is held accountable for his actions, we can bring some sort of peace and healing after such a tragic loss.”
According to the documents, a witness told police that Vicencio spoke with him earlier on Monday, saying he “might be in trouble involving … Taylor and her roommate talking to police” and that he “couldn’t have loose ends and people talking about him.” The witness said he told Vicencio that if he was “talking about killing people, not to do it.” and said he saw the killer about two hours before the shootings.
The witness further said Vicencio was carrying a satchel in which the gunman was known to carry a gun before the killings but was no longer carrying the satchel when he saw him after the murders.
Surveillance footage from the murder scene showed Vicencio walking into the area just before the fatal shootings and then “fleeing immediately afterward,” the court documents say. He was wearing “distinctive clothing” and carrying a “unique satchel,” which he threw into a storm drain.
The satchel was later recovered, and a gun was found inside.
The witness also told police Vicencio used his computer after the murders to “search for information about murders in San Jose.”
A second witness told police that Vicencio called him later Monday morning and told him “he was in trouble with police and had issues where he lived and needed help.” That witness already knew about the murders and confronted Vicencio about it. Vicencio reportedly responded that there was “an issue with a male at the apartment but he handled it.”
Vicencio is being held without bond and is due in court on October 24.
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[Featured image: Joseph Vicencio/San Jose Police Department]
