On Dec. 20, Gov. The suspects are known Sureo, southern, gang members or associates, Salazar said. Nikkole Rule-Balderrama says when she found out the police had made multiple arrests in her sons Copyright 2023 KFSN-TV. On May 5, 2020, officers responded to a shooting in the parking lot of Golden West High School in Visalia. Please consult with a translator for accuracy if you are relying on the translation or are using this site for official business. USPS inspectors coordinated with Texas authorities, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorneys Office to seize several postal packages. With that information, law enforcement agencies were able to seize 18 firearms and 20 pounds of cocaine. In the parking The third was just a short distance away. VISALIA The reward to catch those who gunned down three teens in the Golden West parking lot last year is now $61,000 thanks to the governor. On the anniversary of the young men's deaths, family and friends gathered where their lives were tragically taken, to fill the space with hope and light, and to support one another in the fight for justice. WebVisalia Police and multiple law enforcement agencies arrested three gang members in a May 2020 triple homicide at local high school, others on drug, weapons charges Officers arrived and found three victims suffering from gunshot wounds. Rule says they plan to hold another justice walk on Wednesday in front of the Visalia Police Department to keep the boy's memory and investigation alive. WebOne year after three young men were gunned down in a parking lot at Golden West High School in Visalia, police are still searching for the suspects involved. Gavin Newsom. The Visalia Police Department investigation into an unsolved triple homicide was given a boost by Gov. Detectives learned that local Sureo gang members and associates were importing guns from Texas and were paying for the weapons with methamphetamine and cocaine obtained from drug trafficking organizations in Mexico. After four (4) months of collaborative investigation with our law enforcement partners, the Visalia Police Department and assisting agencies prevented at least four (4) violent crimes from occurring and seized a total of thirty-one (31) firearms from Sureo gang members and associates. 2 girls injured after being hit by car in Atwater, police say, 96-year-old WWII vet among Bass Lake residents snowed in, Snow, graupel, hail fall at unusual spots throughout SoCal. The Golden West mascot is the trailblazers. They were shot to death in May of 2020 in the parking lot at Golden West High School. They interviewed numerous witnesses, collected evidence, and authored search warrants in an attempt to piece together what happened that May night. VISALIA Just a few weeks after Abraham Molina, 20, entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday. WebVisalia Police Department | 303 S. Johnson St., Visalia, CA 93291 | www.visalia.city ssg January 13, 2022 VISALIA TRIPLE HOMICIDE UPDATE & OPERATION TRAILBLAZER PRESS RELEASE On May 5th, 2020, at 11:15 p.m. officers were dispatched to the parking lot of Golden West High School in response to a report of shots fired. Police say all three men are gang members or associates. Officers say the Governors reward of $50,000 is still available for those with direct knowledge of the shooting. Detectives also met with the victims'family members on a regular basis to keep them updated on the progress of this case. Investigators from several agencies, including the Visalia Police Department, Tulare County Sheriff's Office, the Tulare County District Attorney's Office, the Attorney General's Office and the FBI arrested 20-year-old Mark Aceves, 19-year-old Cesar Lopez, and 20-year-old Abraham Molina Thursday morning. 20-year Mark Detectives say the weapons and drugs were being shipped using the US Postal Service. Girls high school basketball team forfeits a game because it refused to play against a team with a transgender player, Fox Leaders Wanted to Break From Trump but Struggled to Make It Happen, Not Going to Read That: White House Press Secretary Brushes Off DeSantis Op-Ed, Sunshine returns to SoCal on Thursday but cold temps stick around, A $5 Billion Market Awaits this A.I. WebPrevious coverage: 3 arrests made in Visalia triple homicide Police found Jose Hernandez-Pea, 19; Isaiah Rule, 18; and Blake Medeiros, 19, dead with gunshot The unit provides statewide enforcement for combating violent career criminals, gangs, and organized crime groups, along with intrastate drug traffickers. RELATED: 3 dead after shooting in parking lot at Golden West High School in Visalia. A $9,000 reward is available through Valley Crime Stoppers. WebThree Gang Members Suspected in Triple Homicide in Visalia Arrested. While the primary focus of this operation was to bring the suspects responsible for the homicides to justice, the investigation also identified a criminal enterprise operating across state lines and into the country of Mexico. To learn more about the Voice, click here. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. Copyright 2023 KFSN-TV. He was surrounded by local, stateand federal law enforcement. After receiving several tips, investigators ask for the public's help to identify the owner or anyone associated with two vehicles. WebLate Tuesday night, police officers in Visalia, a San Joaquin Valley city about 40 miles southeast of Fresno, responded to a report of shots fired at a high school. After a four-month investigation, participating law enforcement agencies say they prevented at least fiveviolent crimes and seized 56 firearms from Sureo gang members. The firearms were then sold to local gang members or smuggled into Mexico in exchange for morenarcotics. Triple Homicide Update Press Release Revision Date: 10/4/2021 (116.3 KB) More Info: 21-080714 Att. All Rights Reserved. WebThe governors reward of $50,000 is still available to material witnesses who can provide investigators and prosecutors with direct knowledge of the triple homicide. In the meantime, the victim's families are just waiting and praying for closure. "While we cannot take away the grief and loss the Visalia community has felt as a result of these horrific and senseless murders, we can bring to account the people who committed these crimes.". "It's only a matter of time.". California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar, Tulare County District Attorney Tim Ward, and Eastern District Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Sanchez were on-hand to announce the arrests of Mark Aceves, 20, Cesar Lopez, 19, and Abraham Molina, 20 on charges related to the deaths of three teens in Visalia in 2020. In July 2021, the Visalia Police Department requested assistance from the California Department of Justices (DOJ) Special Operations Unit (SOU) with its investigation into the triple homicide. I am grateful that this investigation has led to the arrests of suspects involved in the May 2020 triple homicide of Jose Hernandez-Pea, Isaiah Rule, and Blake Medeiros and that this will begin to bring healing and justice to their families. Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar said. The investigation into a triple homicide in Visalia in May has led to the seizure of drugs, guns, money, and more. 20-year Mark Aceves and 19-year old Cesar Lopez will be arraigned on January 25. When officers arrived, they found Jose Pena, Black Medeiros and Isaiah Rule shot to death. Molina, along with 20-year Mark Aceves and 19-year old Cesar Lopez, is charged in the deaths of 19-year-old Jose Hernandez-Pena, 19-year-old Blake Medeiros, and 18-year-old Isaiah Rule. FOX26. DOJs Special Operations Unit is a collaborative investigative effort between DOJ and the California Highway Patrol. Detectives learned that local Sureo gang members and associates were importing guns from Texas and were paying for the weapons with methamphetamine and cocaine from drug trafficking organizations in Mexico. This investigation utilized law enforcement departments from the local, state and federal level and resulted Visalia Police DepartmentVisalia police are looking for these vehicles thought to be linked to an unsolved triple homicide. Everybody's family is going to keep fighting.". It's still unclear how or if the suspects knew the victims before gunfire erupted. An investigation that began with the tragic murder of three young people in Visalia led to law enforcement uncovering a drug and firearms conspiracy that reached from California to Texas and Mexico,said Attorney General Rob Bonta. The Visalia Police Department was aided by the followingagencies: I am grateful that this investigation has led to the arrests of suspects involved and that this will begin to bring healing and justice to their families. Salazar said. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. Anyone with information on the shooting or the two vehicles is asked to call the Visalia Police Department. DOJ partnered with local law enforcement in Texas, the U.S. Two of the victims Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California to seize several postal packages containing18firearms. Loved ones say they will never be at ease until those responsible are held accountable, "We're going to keep fighting," said Balderama. All Rights Reserved. At the same time, a photo of possiblevehicle used in the slayingwere released to the public in hopes of identifying the suspects. The investigation also uncovered a drug and firearm trafficking ring run by members and associates of the Sureos. TRAFFIC ALERT: Several lanes are now blocked going North on Highway 41 due to a multiple-vehicle collision in Fresno. WebOn May 5, 2020, officers responded to a shooting in the parking lot of Golden West High School in Visalia. "As a mother they are a part of you so you don't just physically feel like you're dying, it is mentally, it is spiritually, it is everything," she said. "In this particular case, it took hard-working detectives from the Visalia Police Department who never gave up it took all of us working together to shepherd in this monumental operations resolution.. While the triple homicide investigation has culminated in the arrests of the three primary suspects, the Visalia Police Department would like to remind the public that the Governors Reward of $50,000 is still available to material witnesses that can provide investigators and prosecutors with direct knowledge of the triple homicide. Required fields are marked *. Green was 31 years old and an 11-year veteran of the Exeter Police Department. Mark Aceves,20;Cesar Lopez, 19;and Abraham Molina, 20, were arrested and charged inthe May 2020 triple homicide. 3 dead after shooting in parking lot at Golden West High School in Visalia. We need to speak up for these boys.". Rule, along with 19-year-old Blake Mederios and 19-year-old Jose Pena, was gunned down in the parking lot of Golden West High School back in May. Contact CBS47 and let us be On Your Side. The night after the murder, WebPolice say Molina was the one to fire the gun that killed the three teens. WebDuring the evening of May 5, 2020, three teenagers were shot and killed in a vehicle in the parking lot of Golden West High School in Visalia. WebThe investigation into a triple homicide in Visalia in May has led to the seizure of drugs, guns, money, and more. "Our hope is that today's operation can begin to bring some justice to these families," Salazar said. "Whatever happens in the dark comes to light," Williams said. District Attorney Tim Ward added that while it took time to get to Thursday's announcement, prosecutors will work hard to ensure closure follows. 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