Friends gather to mourn Fresno homeless man who was fatally injured by police vehicle

A portrait of Jose Valencia Pulido stood Friday evening near Fresno and E streets — the same location where Pulido was fatally injured after recently being struck by an off-duty police detective’s vehicle.

In the painting Pulido has a wide grin, with a bright rainbow and verdant field in the background.

“He was from Mendota. He was a homeless person, but he had a big heart,” explained friend David Ruiz.

Ruiz was among the just over a dozen people gathered Friday evening to mourn Pulido’s loss. “He was a good guy, wasn’t he bro?,” Ruiz said to a fellow vigil attendee. “The good die young, man.”

Friday’s gathering at Fresno and E streets included mix of community activists, family members and friends of Pulido’s, some of whom come from similar life circumstances.

Pulido’s death remains under investigation by the Fresno Police Department, who confirmed Friday the driver of the department vehicle in the Sept. 5 crash was a detective.

The department has yet to name the detective, citing the Peace Officer’s Bill of Rights.

According to Deputy Chief Michael Reid, the detective’s shift had ended when the collision occurred.

Police have said the detective was heading west on Fresno Street as Pulido was pushing a bicycle inside the crosswalk on the east side of Fresno Street. Police say the detective’s traffic light was green.

A man with ‘a big heart’

Gathered on the corner outside the Chevron gas station near Highway 99, the group held small, flickering plastic candles in homage of Pulido. Others held signs with messages like, “Justice for Guero” — the nickname many on the street called Pulido.

The intersection glowed with neon lights from the gas station and Rally’s across the street. Cars sped by, drivers sounding their horns at people trying to cross the busy street, while others honked in solidarity with the small crowd.

“This was his home right here,” described Ruiz, pointing across the street towards the fast food restaurant — the same direction Pulido had crossed when he was hit. “He would stay by the trees or by the bus stop.”

Ruiz explained Pulido was disabled and walked with a limp, so it took him extra time to cross the street. He normally used a walker, but leaned on his bike as he crossed the street that night.

“I think about him all the time,” Ruiz added. “He had a heart as big as this whole block, man. He would help the people around here all the time. He was never down. He never showed sadness.”

Marta Heredia, Pulido’s first cousin, attended the vigil alongside her husband. Tears filled her eyes as she explained it had been years since she saw the man in the picture displayed on a canvas. She barely recognized him when she saw his casket.

Pulido was buried on Sept. 18 in Chowchilla. Heredia said he was originally from Jalisco, Mexico.

“I don’t know what happened to Jose,” she said. “I lost him one time and I never found him again.”

Heredia said Pulido lived with her in Sanger for some time. She and her daughter looked for him often when they would drop off food for the homeless community in downtown Fresno, but never found him.

“His older brother passed away 30 years ago in a car accident. Since he died, he was never the same. He just wanted to be with his older brother. Thirty years went by,” she said. “Something happened to his mind.”

Deaths go under the radar, some say

Gary Mancillas, who was friends with Pulido, said another man had died at the same intersection under a year ago. Plus, someone else died closer to the Highway 99 entrance, he said.

Mancillas lamented that when homeless people die on the streets, little attention is given by authorities and the larger society.

“It has to be said. It has to be known,” he said. “They were homeless and they didn’t bother nobody.”

Dez Martinez, the homeless advocate who organized the vigil, said she loses “70 to 100 street family members every year,” and no one is held accountable for their deaths.

“We love Guero,” she said. “He was part of us and he was part of the streets. We fight hard to survive. We will fight harder for justice for Guero.”

Kevin Little, an attorney representing Pulido’s family, expressed frustration that police initially told Pulido’s sister, who lives in Los Angeles, they had no video footage. He pointed toward cameras near the traffic lights and the gas station.

“You can’t ask for an intersection with much more visibility than this one,” he said.

Fresno Police Deputy Chief Michael Reid told The Bee their fixed intersection camera was pointed south down E Street at the time of the collision. It captured Pulido entering the roadway but not the collision itself.

“Detectives canvas the area to collect any and all videos, eye witness statements and physical evidence as part of their investigation. Remember this is still an ongoing investigation so there is quite a bit of evidence yet to analyze,” Reid said.

The timeline of the investigation depends on the driver’s toxicology report, which could take up to three months, Reid previously told The Bee. Fresno’s civil liability team is also involved in the investigation.

The vigil closed with a prayer and a slow clap that gradually became louder and faster.

“Guero presente,” the gathered crowd chanted, led by community organizer Gloria Hernandez.

Hernandez said another gathering is expected to be held the evening of Oct. 22, across the street from the police department.

Hernandez said she will be reading a list of people who have died during encounters with police.

“One more name is going to be on that list,” she said.