Homeless woman found dead in Tollhouse missed in Fresno neighborhood

Neighborhood workers and residents in the area of Blackstone and Ashlan avenues fondly recalled Cheryl Ann Raffeo, a homeless woman who was a fixture there for years.

Raffeo went missing from her “home” for several weeks. The Fresno County Coroner identified her as the person found dead on the side of the road in Tollhouse last month. Now, detectives are working to determine how Raffeo died and the circumstances leading up to her death.

Jaqueline Covarrubias, a waitress at Cafe Leon, said Raffeo visited the restaurant multiple times a day over the years. She usually ordered a shredded beef taco to share with her various pets. Covarrubias said she’s worked in the restaurant for 10 years, and Raffeo was in the neighborhood that entire time.

Next door at the Motel 6, one worker said that of all the homeless people in the area, Raffeo was the “fashionista of Blackstone” because she changed her clothes daily.

Julie Vogel, a neighborhood resident of 30 years, was sad to hear about what happened to Raffeo. “She was part of us,” Vogel said.

Those who spoke agreed that Raffeo took better care of her pets than herself. They said that in recent years, Raffeo lost a significant amount of weight and tried to quit drinking in the months before her death.

Tammy Barker-Noell, who knew Raffeo for many years through her work with Cat House on the Kings, said Raffeo didn’t have any pets at the time of her death.

This story was originally published November 18, 2017 at 11:58 AM with the headline "Homeless woman found dead in Tollhouse missed in Fresno neighborhood."