Father among 2 arrested in killing of young mother in Sunnyvale

By Tim Fang

Authorities in the South Bay have arrested two people in connection with the deadly shooting of a young mother in Sunnyvale, including the victim’s former partner, police said.

According to the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety, officers were called to the Plaza Del Rey mobile home park on the night of Jan. 7 following reports of a shooting. Officers found the victim, later identified as 24-year-old Kembery Chirinos-Flores of Mountain View, inside her a vehicle with gunshot wounds.

Chirinos-Flores was pronounced dead at the scene. The suspects fled the scene before officers arrived.

“Kembery was in the prime of her life. She was working two jobs, and she was the loving mother of a 5-year-old son,” Department of Public Safety Chief Dan Pistor said at a briefing on Monday afternoon.

Following an investigation, officers with the Department of Public Safety arrested Gerzon Chirinos, also known as Gerzon Chirinos-Munguia, of Sunnyvale on March 5.

Pistor said suspect Chirinos and the victim were in a previous relationship and had a child in common. The suspect also had a previous domestic violence offense involving another partner.

On the same day, the department’s SWAT team also arrested Alfonso Inestroza, also known as Franquin Inestroza-Martinez, of Hollister. Police said Inestroza had an outstanding arrest warrant for an unrelated murder case in New Jersey.

Both men were booked into the Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of homicide.

“These arrests represent an important step toward justice for Kembery and her family,” Pistor said in a statement. “The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety will never stop pursuing justice for victims of violent crime in our community, and we remain committed to holding offenders fully accountable.”

The child was not harmed in the incident and was placed in custody of child protective services.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, there are resources. The National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached at 1-800-799-7233 (TDD: 1-800-787-3224) and provides free and private help in more than 100 languages.