‘He started shooting like crazy.’ Witnesses describe gunfire that killed 2 men in Fresno
An argument followed by a flurry of gunshots is what witnesses say they heard the evening two men were killed last year outside a southwest Fresno apartment.
That’s according to testimony Wednesday during a preliminary hearing for brothers Juan Carlos Canada, 23, and Mark Anthony Urbano, 20.
Canada is accused of two counts of murder for the deaths of Roman Cervantes, 43, and Jose Herrera Mojica, 27. He’s also facing two counts of attempted murder and assault by means likely to produce great bodily harm for shooting a 46-year-old man and 17-year-old boy.
Urbano is charged with assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury and accessory after the fact/knowledge of a crime.
Prosecutor Amy Cobb suggested the shootings may have been sparked by Canada’s prior involvement in the Lao Bloods criminal street gang.
Cobb questioned Canada’s older sister Jasmin Canada about her brother’s gang involvement and she acknowledged he had dropped out.
He was also having problems with active gang members in the apartment complex where he and his family lived.
Jasmin Canada testified that she was inside her family’s apartment the night of the shooting in the 1100 block of East Lorena Avenue.. At about 6 p.m. a friend called and said her brother was about to fight someone at the complex. “I went out there to try and keep things from escalating,” she testified. “But they didn’t listen to me.”
She said Canada and the 17-year-old had fought before.
Frustrated that they didn’t listen to her, she went back inside the apartment and stayed there until she heard a barrage of loud gunfire. “It sound like they were bombs,” she said.
She remained inside the apartment until the shooting stopped. When she stepped outside, she was shocked to find out who was dead.
“One of the neighbors told me that my uncle had been killed,” she testified, as she started to cry. “He was laying there on the ground.”
Her uncle was Ramon Cervantes, who was also Juan Canada’s uncle. It’s unclear if Cervantes was an intended target or an innocent victim.
Some victims survived shooting
Also testifying Wednesday was one of the shooting victims, Luis Ortiz, whose stepson, Jose Herrera Mojica, was killed by gunfire. The Ortiz family live near the Canada family.
Ortiz testified he was outside of his apartment, loading tools into his truck, when he heard shouting and then the crack of gunfire.
“At that moment, I ran to try and hide,” he said. “And then I felt something on my leg. I was in shock and didn’t know what had happened. I just laid down on the floor near my truck, I couldn’t move.”
Ortiz was shot twice, once in the leg and once in his groin area. He survived his wounds after weeks of recovery.
As he lay on the ground, wounded, Ortiz was able to see his stepson, Mojica, who had also been shot.
Ortiz’s wife Josefina Mojica testified that she heard a loud argument somewhere in the apartment complex so she went out to see what was going on.
She testified that she saw her son, Jose Mojica, standing near Juan Canada, arguing. She said her son was trying to stop Juan Canada from fighting with the 17-year so he picked him up and slammed him to the ground.
“When he stood up, he pulled out a gun and fired at my son, at close range,” Mojica testified. “I ran to my son but he (Juan Canada) started shooting like crazy, random, all over.”
Mojica testified the 17-year-old also had a rifle and began shooting it up in the air. He was also wounded in the lower half of his body.
“When I looked up there were shots being fired next to me on both sides,” she testified.
The preliminary hearing continues Thursday at 10 a.m. in Dept. 52. Representing Canada is Richard Beshwate Jr. and Greg Gross is the defense attorney for Urbano.
If convicted on all counts and allegations, Canada faces life in prison without the possibility of parole or death, if the district attorney’s office pursues that option.
This story was originally published February 9, 2023 at 5:30 AM.
