Residents on edge with two escaped Salinas inmates still on the loose

Many residents in Salinas Monday night said two murder suspects are probably long gone by now after they escaped the Monterey County jail Sunday. Some residents are fearful about the idea that Jonathan Salazar and Santos Fonseca are out there.

“That’s terrifying actually. I’m kind of wondering kind of how these things fall through the cracks and how somebody’s actually able to escape,” said a woman who did not want to reveal her identity.

Salazar was arrested last year for the 2017 deadly shooting of 20-year-old Jaime Martinez on Del Monte Avenue in Salinas. Police believe the shooting was gang related.

KION spoke with someone who said they went to high school with Salazar.

They didn’t want to go on camera but hope Salazar can get his life back on track.

“I just hope that they get the help they need and hopefully they turn themselves in. I don’t really believe in people that area guilty off the bat. I just want to see some evidence, see if they’re guilty or not,” they added.

Many people were hesitant to discuss the escaped inmates Monday night. They told KION they are concerned for their own safety. The killings are reportedly gang related.

“I work in the evenings and to come out to your car late at night, you kind of think twice,” one woman said. “You kind of look around, look over your shoulder, always kind of wondering who is that guy?”

Fonseca was arrested in June 2018 along with his girlfriend. They are accused in the murder of Lorenso Gomez Acosta on Klamath Drive. Also, 27-year-old Ernesto Garcia Cruz at El Dorado Park.

KION went back to the neighborhood and like other parts of the city, people are concerned about what the men may do now that they’re out of jail.

“It’s the fear, and I worry for my neighbors,” said neighbor Jose Manuel Saldaa.

The two men were awaiting trial, before they escaped, with dates scheduled for early 2020.

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the inmates capture.