MODESTO — Two men were killed in a solo-vehicle crash Thursday and police arrested the driver on suspicion of driving under the influence.
“He was dope. He was amazing. If you didn’t know him, it’s too bad,” said Dolly Cain, a close friend of both victims.
Cain misses Michael Perez, also known as G-sta, and their friend in music and in life C-LOC, otherwise known as Charles Nunez Jr.
The young men died early Thursday morning in Modesto when the crew cab pickup they were riding in crashed along Slyvan Avenue, eventually hitting a tree. Perez and Nunez were trapped inside as the truck caught fire.
“I really am going to miss him a lot,” said Sergio Corrales, Nunez’s cousin. “That’s my cousin, it’s like he was like a brother to me. It’s like losing another brother.”
It’s now been two full days of disbelief for Corrales and his entire family. Family lit candles at a memorial for the men Friday night.
“He had two daughters and he really loved his kids, just like he loved me,” Corrales said. “He would always tell me not to do the wrong thing, not to get in the wrong crowd. He was just a good guy.”
Modesto investigators believe the crash Nunez and Perez died in was fueled by alcohol. They have arrested the driver of the Dodge, 28-year-old Alfonzo Rodriguez-Quintana on suspicion of two counts of homicide, DUI causing injury and gross bodily injury in the commission of a felony. He was found on the ground near his crumpled truck after the crash.
For such a close group of friends and family, who say they were around each other non-stop, no one seemed to have ever seen Rodriguez-Quintana until they saw his mugshot.
“Me and my friend were just in a major car accident and Michael was like on us about it so it was just like a little baffling as to why he would be in a car with a drunk driver,” Cain said.
According to friends, Perez and Nunez may have had plans for karaoke Wednesday night before they got into that pickup with Rodriguez-Quintana. If you spotted them out or know anything about how they ended up riding with him, Modesto police want to hear from you.
GoFundMe pages have been set up for both Perez and Nunez.
