Man shot by strangers in central Fresno; two men who fit descriptions in custody

Two men were in police custody, accused of shooting a man in his 60s late Saturday in central Fresno for no apparent reason.

Police Lt. Steve Card said a man was riding his bicycle in the area of Shields Avenue and Fresno Street when he rode past two men, both in their 20s. Card said the victim did not know the men, but one of them shot him in the hip area.

The victim was in stable condition Saturday at Community Regional Medical Center, Card said. Before he was taken to the hospital, the victim rode his bicycle to his home in the area of Michigan Avenue and Fresno Street.

The call of a shooting came to police just before 9 p.m. in the 3700 block of North Fresno Street, several blocks north of the victim’s home.

Undercover police officers were in the area just as witnesses reported gunshots and gave descriptions of the suspects.

Just north of Ashlan Avenue, on Fresno Street, police in uniform caught up with two men who fit the description given by witnesses, Card said. The two were found with a handgun.

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“We had a lucky break. We had people at the right place at the right time,” Card said.

Card said there are no other suspects, but the investigation continues. Anyone with information or who knows what happened at Shields Avenue and Fresno Street around 9 p.m. is asked to contact police.

If the suspects in custody are found responsible for wounding the victim, Card said they could face multiple charges including firing a weapon negligently, assault with a deadly weapon and possibly illegal possession of a firearm.

“It’s a great piece of police work and great information provided by the community,” Card said. “We need the community to provide us this information.”

This story was originally published March 11, 2017 at 11:43 PM with the headline "Man shot by strangers in central Fresno; two men who fit descriptions in custody."