Merced officials pledged to increase gang violence prevention resources after a string of killings in the city in recent weeks.

The investigation into the fatal shooting of two Merced teenagers continues on Wednesday, the Merced Police Department said. The boys, each 14 years old, were killed in the shooting that happened Monday night near the Merced Behavioral Center on E. 13th Street. Their bodies were found around 7 p.m. on Monday, police said.

The Merced Police Department has identified the suspect in a homicide investigation as Moises Reyes. Reyes is wanted in

In just the first 19 days of the year, five people have been shot and three of those were killed in the city of Merced.

MERCED, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A recent spike in violence has prompted the Merced Police Department to increase patrols and expand gang suppression efforts across the city. Police say five people have been shot in Merced so far this month – three of those shootings were deadly.

A reported vehicle theft led to a police pursuit and arrest in Merced on Sunday afternoon after the victim actively followed

Two people were found dead in the area of 13th and G Streets in Merced at about 8 p.m. Monday night, police say.

Two 14-year-old boys, Xavier Barragan and Nehemiah Green, were found shot to death near the Merced Behavioral Center on E. 13th Street, and police are investigating the incident as a possible