WebOn May 5, 2020, officers responded to a shooting in the parking lot of Golden West High School in Visalia. 3 dead after shooting in parking lot at Golden West High School in Visalia. Email: OnYourSide@cbsfresno.com. USPS inspectors coordinated with Texas authorities, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorneys Office to seize several postal packages. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Detectives have contacted and interviewed numerous individuals, evaluated multiple items of evidence, and authored numerous search warrants to ascertain what occurred that night, and identify those responsible. Everybody's family is going to keep fighting.". If you have any questions please contact: Bilingual Services Program at (916) 210-7580. During 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. Please consult with a translator for accuracy if you are relying on the translation or are using this site for official business. "It's only a matter of time.". Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Celestina Sanchez. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. "I'm going to keep fighting. A press release from the Visalia Police Department. To learn more about the Voice, click here. The Office of the Attorney General is unable to guarantee the accuracy of this translation and is therefore not liable for any inaccurate information resulting from the translation application tool. During the investigation, law enforcement agents identified Sureo gang members as suspects in the murders. "We want to know what happened to our boys," said Williams. On Thursday, Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar stood at a podium placed inside a spaciousexhibit hall at the Visalia Convention Center. 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. "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. I am also very proud of the hard work and dedication of the Visalia Police detectives who have worked so diligently on this case and to all of our law enforcement partners on this investigation for their contributions and resources to help bring justice to these families and to our community., Todays announcement is the result of a collaborative effort between local, state, and federal agencies targeting a violent gangs supply chain of methamphetamine, said U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert. Copyright 2023 KFSN-TV. Law enforcement agents also seized24 firearmsduring the operation. The assistance of these various agencies was imperative in helping the Visalia Police Department to bolster the cases against the identified suspects and their associates. It's still unclear how or if the suspects knew the victims before gunfire erupted. The third was just a short distance away. On May 5, 2020, officers were The firearms were then sold to local gang members or smuggled into Mexico in exchange for morenarcotics. All Rights Reserved. The United States Attorneys Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to take on these criminal organizations.. I have three other kids, so I have to wake up, but you just don't want to wake up.". "I don't know any mother who can accept this.". The investigation has had far-reaching impacts not just in Visalia but across three states and into Mexico. 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. DOJs Special Operations Unit is a collaborative investigative effort between DOJ and the California Highway Patrol. 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. The victims were later identified as 19-year-old Jose Hernandez-Pena, 19-year-old Blake Medeiros, and 18-year-old Isaiah Rule. "Our deepest sympathies to the families who've been impacted by this terrible crime and who lost their loved ones that night," he said. Some people are upset at the way iPhones charge. The day that an arrest is made in a murder investigation, marks the beginning of a path to justice for grieving families. "It is not going to fix it, but it will still give us some answers that we are looking for.". Visalia Police Department Violent Crimes Detectives, Special Enforcement Unit Officers, and Crime Scene Investigators were called out to assist in the investigation. Abraham Molina, 20, entered a not guilty plea on Tuesday. RELATED: 3 dead after shooting in parking lot at Golden West High School in Visalia. Over the course of the investigation, the Visalia Police Department was assisted by the Tulare County Sheriffs Office, Tulare County District Attorneys Office, US Attorneys Office Eastern District of California, Federal Bureau of Investigation, California Department of Justice Bureau of Investigations & Firearms, and the California Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit. Nearly two years after three teenagers were gunned down in the parking lot of Golden West High School, their grieving families were told arrests had finally been made. "I sit there waiting for him walking through the door," she said. 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. FOX26. 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. According to detectives, the investigation into the shooting led to the discovery of a criminal enterprise operating across state lines and into the country of Mexico. Investigators say they learned that area gang members and associates were bringing guns from Texas and paying for the weapons with drugs including meth and cocaine obtained from Mexican traffickers. Detectives have also met with the victims family members on a regular basis to keep them updated on the progress of this case. After receiving The victims in this case were identified as Jose Hernandez-Pena (19), Isaiah Rule (18), and Blake Medeiros (19). All rights reserved. Operation Trailblazer focused on the enhanced surveillance and investigation of individuals believed to be directly involved with the triple homicide and who were members of the Sureo criminal street gang in the cities of Visalia and Ivanhoe. If we can suffocate their funding sources, we can cripple their operations. 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. WebVisalia Police are looking for two vehicles they believe are associated with the killing of three teens in the Golden West parking lost last year. Gavin Newsom. Here's why. The investigation also uncovered a drug and firearm trafficking ring run by members and associates of the Sureos. To learn more about the Voice, click here. 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. WebThe shooting occurred on May 5, 2020, at Golden West High School in Visalia where Jose Hernandez-Pea, 19, Isaiah Rule, 18, and Blake Medeiros, 19 were killed. Blake's mom, Ashley Williams, said she lost a piece of herself when her son's life was taken. Staff, login here. VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Visalia police are one step closer to solving the murders of three men who were shot to death outside Golden West High School last year. Officers arrived and found three victims suffering from gunshot wounds. The weapons and narcotics were being shipped through the U.S. 3 men arrested in connection to 2020 triple homicide in Visalia. Over the course of the investigation, 37arrests were made, at leastfiveviolent crimes were prevented, and a total of56firearms were seized from Sureo gang members and associates. He was surrounded by local, stateand federal law enforcement. 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. Today at 3:54 PM. 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. Law enforcement agencies may ask the Governor to issue rewards in certain unsolved cases where they have exhausted all investigative leads to encourage individuals with information about the crimes to come forward, the Governors office wrote in a press release. Molina is believed to have shot and killed the victims, and was charged with the special allegation that he intentionally discharged a firearm, which caused death. Mark Aceves,20;Cesar Lopez, 19;and Abraham Molina, 20, were arrested and charged inthe May 2020 triple homicide. 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. Detectives continued to work leads and analyze data collected during the investigation. Candles and heartfelt messages surround a photo of Isaiah. Two of the victims were found in a car. Gavin Newsom to receive the reward. 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 Required fields are marked *. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California to seize several postal packages containing18firearms. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. The teenagers were found dead from gunshot wounds inside of a vehicle near the high school. Contact: (916) 210-6000, agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov, State of California Department of Justice, Consumer Protection and Economic Opportunity, California Justice Information Services (CJIS), Attorney General Bonta Announces Arrest of Gang Members Invo. On Sept. 29, 2020, the Visalia Police Department partnered with Central Valley Crime Stoppers and the friends and family ofRule, Medeirosand Hernandez-Pea to offer a $9,000 reward for information leading to an arrest of the suspects. WebBased on all information revealed during the investigation, detectives have identified suspects Mark Aceves (20), Cesar Lopez (19), and Abraham Molina (20) as being "Just lead us, lead detectives to get justice," Rule said. Detectives also met with the victims'family members on a regular basis to keep them updated on the progress of this case. A woman threw a house party with 65 men she matched with on Tinder and Hinge and connected with the man she's been dating for a year. 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. Previous coverage:DAcalls on lawmakers to bring justice to Operation Trailblazer suspects. Further investigation into the gang revealed that several members and associates were importingboth stolen and lawfully purchasedfirearmsfrom Texasusing proceeds from the sale oftheillegal narcoticswhich were being trafficked into California from Mexico. Authorities have announced the arrests of three men in connection with a triple homicide that occurred in May 2020 in Visalia. 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