Lindsay homicide victim named, may be tied to Tulare County ‘reign of terror’
Police on Tuesday released the name of a shooting victim killed in Lindsay on Sunday – a killing that may be related to a “reign of terror” across Tulare County on Monday.
Rolando Soto, 38, died at an area hospital after he was shot around 3:20 p.m. Sunday in front of a residence on the 100 block of North Harvard Avenue.
The case remained under investigation Tuesday. Lt. Ryan Heinks with the Lindsay Police Department said video surveillance shows a vehicle that looks “very similar” to the Honda Pilot driven by Gustavo Garcia, 36, the suspect in Monday’s rampage. Garcia died in a car crash following a police chase in Porterville after robbing a store, killing a stranger, and shooting others in random acts of violence, according to police.
Heinks said detectives are “working to confirm” Garcia is the suspect in the Lindsay homicide. He said detectives are still reviewing surveillance video and forensic analysis.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Heinks or Sgt. Riley at 559-562-2511.
The Tulare Police Department, meanwhile, said Tuesday that Garcia stole ammunition from a Tulare Walmart around 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Video surveillance didn’t show the theft, police said, but that he was later seen walking in the business with several white boxes of 9-mm ammunition.
“Walmart advised three boxes of ammunition were missing each with 100 rounds,” police said.
Anyone with information about that case is asked to contact 559-684-4290, or anonymously 24 hours a day at 559-685-2300, ext. 4445; or online at tipsubmit.com/webtipstart.aspx.
