One took part in assault of WWII vet, another was major car thief. Friday, both lost their lives
A man who as a teenager was convicted of terrorizing a local veteran and another once described as one of the city’s most prolific auto thieves were killed in separate incidents Friday, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
Keith Scott, 23, of Fresno, was identified Saturday as the man killed in a shooting late Friday near Normal Avenue and Mayfair Drive.
In January 2015, then 17, Scott was the last of three teenagers to be sentenced in the robbery and assault of a World War II veteran inside his Fresno home, earning a five-year prison term.
Ralph Jasso, 44, of Fresno was the man killed in a road-rage crash on Highway 99 near Fresno Street earlier Friday night. He had been listed in media reports years earlier as one of the city’s top auto theft suspects.
Shooting remains under investigation
Police continued to investigate the Friday homicide, with Scott the victim of a shooting just before midnight.
Scott was shot once following a clash with two other people, who fled in a blue sedan, police said. The shooting took place at 11:45 p.m.
Investigators believe there was some type of earlier disturbance at another location involving Scott. Eventually, they clashed again at Normal and Mayfair, with at least one person opening fire.
In 2015, Scott faced 11 years in prison but saw that reduced to five after he was said to have cooperated with investigators and testified against a co-defendant who put a gun in the veteran’s mouth, then pistol whipped him and shoved him in a closet during a home invasion robbery in 2013.
Scott wrote a letter of apology to the victim. He initially was sent to a juvenile facility, then transferred to an adult prison when he turned 18.
According to Fresno County Sheriff’s spokesman Tony Botti, Scott was in jail as recently as last year on a probation violation.
CHP: Highway 99 crash was road rage
In 2012, Ralph Jasso was identified by Fresno Police as one of the city’s top five auto-theft suspects.
Just before 5:30 p.m. Friday, he died when he was thrown from a truck he was driving after it collided with another vehicle, closing northbound Highway 99 in central Fresno as an investigation was completed.
Sunday, California Highway Patrol spokesman Mike Salas said investigators determined that Jasso had instigated a road-rage incident.
Jasso was driving a Lincoln pickup passing a red Chevrolet Silverado pickup when he intentionally veered to his right colliding with the Silverado. Jasso lost control of the Lincoln, hitting the right shoulder and rolling over along the highway near Fresno Street.
Jasso, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown to the roadway. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Two others in the Lincoln and the driver of the Silverado suffered what the CHP described as minor injuries.
In February 2013, Jasso was arrested by Sanger police shortly after midnight on the morning of Feb. 14. He was booked on suspicion of stealing a vehicle, vandalism and receiving stolen property.
At that time, Fresno police had just elevated Jasso to No. 1 on the department’s list of top-five wanted auto thieves. Police said he operated throughout Fresno County.
Jasso was in Fresno County jail many times, Botti said, and was a career auto thief.
This story was originally published January 30, 2021 at 7:38 PM.
