She had a social media beef, then she shot up the wrong house – an officer’s, DA says

A 19-year-old Fresno woman whose social media feud allegedly led to four separate drive-by shootings will stand trial.

Prosecutors allege Brisa Chavez-Arias used a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson to dole out revenge against her enemies by shooting at their homes or apartments. Luckily, no one was injured in the shootings that happened during September 2018 in southeast and central Fresno.

Her defense attorney, Nicholas Reyes, said she was being threatened by several girls and no one has identified her as the shooter. Prosecutor Andrew Janz said while no one has come forward to say she pulled the trigger, she admitted to the shootings during an interview with detectives.

Judge Houry Sanderson on Friday said there was enough evidence for the case to continue. Chavez-Arias faces four felony counts of discharging a firearm at an inhabited dwelling, one count of assault with a semi-automatic firearm and one count of attempted residential burglary.

If found guilty, she could spend 25 years in prison.

Police said the shootings were sparked by a dispute that erupted on social media and then played out on Fresno’s streets. Also charged in shootings was Dario Ramirez, 22. He pleaded no contest to six felony counts and will be sentenced on June 24. He faces up to eight years in prison.

The series of drive-by shootings began Sept. 20 and ended Sept. 26 with the arrests. Janz said Chavez-Arias was targeting the homes and apartments of girls she was having a dispute with, except for one.

One of the unintended victims was the family of David Perez, a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officer. Janz said it appears Chavez-Arias targeted the home by mistake.

Perez testified that six bullets struck his home at about 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 22. At the time, Perez was just getting out of the shower and his wife was in the kitchen with their newborn. His two young children were playing in their rooms when bullets began penetrating the walls of their home.

“The bullets struck the right side of the house where the kids were,” he said.

Also shaken by a barrage of bullets was 85-year-old Jose Saucedo. He and his wife live with his son in southeast Fresno. Bullets came flying into their home at about 3:30 a.m., he said.

“The bullets went right through and into the kitchen,” he said.

Detective Primitivo Diaz said officers arrested Chavez-Arias and Ramirez after witnesses gave police a detailed description of Ramirez’s car. Police also found a .40 caliber weapon in the car that ballistics show was the gun used in the shootings.

This story was originally published May 31, 2019 at 5:04 PM.