Fresno man captured in connection with suspected gang killing in 2014, authorities say

A Fresno man was captured this week in connection with a gang-related slaying in 2014, law enforcement officials in Washington state said Tuesday.

Police received a tip this month that Daniel Cervantes Cardenas, 32, was living in Toppenish, a city of about 9,000 20 miles south of Yakima in central Washington.

Cardenas was wanted in connection with a gang-related homicide that occurred in Fresno in 2014, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office, the Toppenish Police Department and the Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force conducted an investigation and surveillance that led to Cardenas’ arrest around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday.

According to court records and Fresno Bee archives, the victim, a 23-year-old Bulldog gang member, was shot around 10 p.m. March 29, 2014, in the area of Mayfair Drive and Normal Avenue.

Police in 2014 said a man in a light-colored white or gray Chrysler 300 got out of the car and fired his weapon several times, hitting the man who was found on the roadway. The shooter then got back in the car, which sped away on Normal toward McKinley Avenue, officers said.

According to Fresno County Superior Court records, a $1.5 million warrant was issued April 25, 2014, charging Cardenas with murder.

Cardenas was being held in Yakima County Jail awaiting extradition to California.

This story was originally published March 5, 2019 at 10:00 PM.