Three homicides in Fresno in a week — one described by police as a “very violent” shooting near downtown, another in a landlord-tenant dispute and the third in the brutal stabbing of a homeless man — brought the city’s homicide total to 2023 alone. 10.
Two men are in custody in connection with unrelated murders, police said Wednesday, as officers continue to search for a suspect in the latest case.
Lt. Paul Cervantes of the department’s Street Violence Bureau said the homicide rate is a reversal of recent years.
“These are very tragic events, but overall violent crime is down, homicides are down,” said Cervantes, who noted that 19 homicides were reported on the same date in 2022.
In the shootout in Fresno and Belmont, 28 rounds were fired
Monterey Skinner, 38, is at Community Regional Medical Center recovering from gunshot wounds he suffered early May 11 after a shootout with another man near Fresno Street and Belmont Avenue, Cervantes said Wednesday.
As a result of the shootout, 45-year-old Nathaniel Castaneda was killed. Cervantes said Skinner will be charged with the murders when he recovers.
Cervantes said video evidence shows Skinner started the shootout, in which at least 28 shots were fired, and police believe a third man, who is still at large, returned fire.
Police say Castaneda was caught in the crossfire.
Cervantes said Skinner has a lengthy criminal history that includes armed robbery and possession of a firearm.
The victim was a tenant and the shooter was a landlord, police said
Ira Gordon Lewis, 79, is being held in the Fresno County Jail on $1.5 million bail after he was arrested Saturday near Dakota and Hayston avenues after shooting Michael Brady, 56, who was identified by police on Tuesday.
Cervantes said police believe Lewis, the landlord, shot Brady in a dispute over unpaid rent, though Lewis denies the allegations.
Brady, who had been a tenant for five years, died after being rushed to Community Regional Medical Center. Dozens of officers spent more than a day at the crime scene looking for the gun used in the shooting before finding it, the lieutenant added.
Suspect in Fresno murder on the loose
Police are looking for the killer of 37-year-old Jonathan Garcia.
Garcia, who was homeless, was living near Clinton and Brawley avenues when he was stabbed in the neck around 2 a.m. Tuesday. He died after being taken to CRMC.