FRESNO — Thanks to an anonymous donation of $3,000 by a local community member and $1,000 from the Fresno County Public Safety Association, the reward for information leading to an arrest in the random roadway shooting case now stands at $7,000, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office announced today.
The Fresno County Public Safety Association, which is the organization that represents Fresno County Sheriff’s Correctional Officers, is also issuing a challenge. They want all law enforcement organizations to match their $1,000 donation in hopes of it leading to an arrest that much sooner.
The Fresno and Madera County Sheriff’s Offices, and the CHP continue to investigate a series of shootings on public roadways, which appear to be related.
Between Nov. 27 and Dec. 17, there have been 10 separate reports of vehicles being struck by gunfire. Eight occurred in Fresno County and two occurred in Madera County. Only one case resulted in a person suffering injuries.
Detectives have not determined a motive for the shootings and are considering them to be random.
All of the shootings in Fresno County have happened in the same vicinity, on the outskirts of the city of Kerman. Most all occurred at the beginning and end of traditional commute hours.
A common thread in all reports is the victims said they heard loud bangs as another vehicle passed them, going the opposite direction on the roadway. They later inspect their vehicles and find bullet holes in various places.
Numerous victims have given deputies the following description of the last vehicle they saw go past them at the time they heard the noise.
- Dark colored pickup truck with an extended cab or crew cab
- Lifted body with oversized tires
Valley Crime Stoppers is now offering a $3,000 cash reward to anyone with information about the person or persons responsible for these shootings.
The following is a list of reported shootings to date (see map below for exact locations):
1) Around 6:45 a.m. on Nov. 27, a vehicle traveling on Madera Ave. (Hwy. 145) near Avenue 8 ½ was hit with bullets. This is in Madera County. No one in the vehicle was injured.
2) Around 9:30 p.m. on Nov. 27, a vehicle traveling on W. California Ave. near S. Bryan Ave. was hit with bullets. This occurred in Fresno County. No one in the vehicle was injured.
3) Around 3:30 p.m. on Dec, 1, a vehicle traveling on N. Dickenson Ave. near W. Shields Ave. was struck by bullets. This occurred in Fresno County. No one in the vehicle was injured.
4) Around 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 1, a vehicle traveling on N. Dickenson Ave. near W. Shields Ave. was struck by bullets. The driver was also hit. The woman called law enforcement and was treated for her injuries, which were determined to be non-life threatening. This occurred in Fresno County.
5) Around 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 4, a motorist driving on Madera Ave. (Hwy. 145) near W. Barstow Ave. had their vehicle struck by gunfire. This occurred in Fresno County. No one in the vehicle was injured.
6) Around 6:45 a.m. on Dec. 7, a vehicle traveling on Madera Ave. (Hwy. 145) near Avenue 6 was struck by gunfire. This is in Madera County. No one in the vehicle was injured.
7) Around 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 11, a motorist driving on Whitesbridge Ave. near Howard Ave. had their vehicle struck by gunfire. This occurred in Fresno County. No one in the vehicle was injured.
8) Around 5 p.m. on Dec. 11, a vehicle traveling in the area of Jensen Ave. and Rolinda Ave. was struck by bullets. This occurred in Fresno County. No one in the vehicle was injured.
9) Around 7 a.m. on Dec. 15, a motorist drove past a vehicle on Dickenson, near Central Ave. The victim heard a loud noise, drove to their destination and found a bullet hole in their vehicle when they performed an inspection. This occurred in Fresno County. They were not injured.
10) Around 2 p.m. on Dec.17, a vehicle traveling on Trinity Ave. near Shaw Ave. was struck by bullets. This occurred in Fresno County. No one in the vehicle was injured.
Deputies with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, Madera County Sheriff’s Office and officers with the California Highway Patrol are working together to try and identify possible suspects and put a stop to these shootings. This case is considered a top priority and additional resources have been designated to the investigation.
“All of our agencies want to warn the public to be aware of these instances and the locations in which they occurred,” says the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. “If your vehicle is struck by an object, pull over and park in a safe place as soon as possible. Inspect your vehicle and if it appears to be damage from a bullet, dial 911 immediately and report as much information as possible to dispatchers.”
The faster the information is reported, the quicker patrol units can respond to the area and search for the shooter.
Anyone with additional information on any of the cases listed above, or even cases not listed, is asked to contact Sheriff’s dispatchers at (559) 600-3111 or Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867. You will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a $7,000 cash reward.
The Sheriff’s Office would like to remind people that the ONLY way they can claim this reward is by delivering their tip to Valley Crime Stoppers, which can be reached at (559) 498-7867. As always, the caller will not have to give their name. If the tip pans out, they will be given a numeric code to collect the cash.
