More arrests likely in botched robbery that ended in murder, police chief says
Fresno police Chief Jerry Dyer said Wednesday more arrests are expected in the slaying of a southwest Fresno store owner’s son who was killed trying to stop a robbery.
Christopher Leon, 22, was shot and killed Saturday evening when he ran after three people who had just robbed Stereo and DJ Outlet/Mari’s Jewelry on East Kings Canyon Road.
“We are actively working that case,” Dyer said at his monthly news conference at police headquarters. “We do have two individuals in custody for that robbery and murder. And we also have significant leads that I am confident are going to lead our investigators to make some additional arrests in the very near future.”
The robbery happened about 7 p.m. Saturday when three young males came into the store and asked to look at jewelry, then tried to bolt out the door with the goods.
Store owner Maricela Gamez said she screamed for help. Her son and husband ran and grabbed one of the robbers. Her son held onto the suspect while his father tried to catch the other two.
When a mother has to see her son killed right in front of her, that’s an unbearable tragedy.
Fresno police chief Jerry Dyer
But the person Leon was holding produced a gun and shot Leon in the mouth. He died two hours later at Community Regional Medical Center.
“When a mother has to see her son killed right in front of her, that’s an unbearable tragedy,” Dyer said after the news conference.
When the gun went off, the police department’s ShotSpotter detection system picked it up but the getaway car was gone by the time the first officer arrived.
Investigators used a license plate number to track down two juveniles who are now in custody and face charges of robbery and murder. The vehicle was recovered the day after the slaying.
Meanwhile, investigators are processing evidence, Dyer said.
Anyone with information about the robbery and slaying should call homicide detectives Tony Rivera at 559-621-2442 or David Porcella at 559-621-2435.
Lewis Griswold: 559-441-6104, @fb_LewGriswold
This story was originally published August 9, 2017 at 5:50 PM with the headline "More arrests likely in botched robbery that ended in murder, police chief says."