With no leads and hesitant eye witnesses, the San Luis Obispo County Crime Stoppers Program has increased the reward from $1,000 to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people who shot and killed a 17-year-old Oceano resident.

Seventeen-year-old Gabriel Salgado was shot in the head and killed while standing with another teenager on 21st Street in Oceano. The shooting occurred in the early evening hours of Nov. 17. To date, local law enforcement has been unable to drum up any substantive leads.

In an attempt to draw witnesses forward, the Crime Stoppers Program increased its reward already offered “for the arrest and conviction of person(s) responsible for the death.”

“We need to develop more leads in this case, and Crime Stoppers has stepped up to help,” Ron Hastie, investigations commander for the SLO County Sheriff’s Department, said in a news release.

Crime Stoppers is a local nonprofit group that offers cash rewards for information leading to arrests and prosecutions of criminals.

Sheriff’s Department spokesman Rob Bryn said he couldn’t divulge whether the department has any suspects in the shooting, but told New Times, “We know that there have been eye witnesses to this who actually know who the shooter or shooters were, and we just want to make sure that they have a reason to come forward.”

The shooting is believed to be gang related.

Salgado was transported to Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria where he died. A 14-year-old boy, who was not named, was also shot. He was struck in the leg and treated at Arroyo Grande Community Hospital.

Anyone with information in the case is encouraged to go to SLOtips.org or text SLOTIPS plus your message to CRIMES (274637). ∆