Arrests made in Sunnyvale killing of young mother; child’s father charged

Domestic Violence Awareness & Prevention

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SUNNYVALE, Calif. - Two men have been arrested in connection with the January shooting death of a 24-year-old mother found in her car in Sunnyvale, officials announced Monday.

Authorities allege Kembery Chirinos-Flores, of Mountain View, was killed on Jan. 7 by the father of her child and another man, according to the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety. Officers found Chirinos-Flores slain in her vehicle around 9:39 p.m. in the 1200 block of Vienna Drive.

Homicide investigation

What we know:

The suspects fled the scene before officers arrived. Following a months-long investigation, detectives identified the suspects as Gerzon Chirinos, of Sunnyvale, and Alfonso Inestroza, of Hollister.

Both men were booked into Santa Clara County Jail on murder charges. Inestroza also had an outstanding arrest warrant for an unrelated murder case in New Jersey.

Domestic violence history

Dig deeper:

Investigators say Chirinos-Flores and Chirinos shared a 5-year-old son.

According to police, Chirinos has a history of domestic violence-related offenses involving a different victim in 2018.

While authorities recovered a shotgun believed to be the murder weapon, they have not yet said which man fired the fatal shots.

The victim’s son is currently in the custody of Child Protective Services.

"Kembury was in the prime of her life. She was working two jobs to make ends meet, and she was a loving mother," said Sunnyvale DPS Chief Daniel Pistor. "This was a tragic, senseless act of violence that is fortunately extremely rare in our city."