Suspect in domestic killing in Fresno banned from firearms possession, records show

A man suspected of shooting a woman to death in an apparent case of domestic violence in Fresno is a two-time felon prohibited from owning firearms, according to court records.

The woman, killed Tuesday morning at a home at North 5th Street and East Lamona Avenue, was identified Wednesday by the Fresno County Coroner’s Office a True Vang, 41, of Fresno.

Arriving police quickly detained Ka Lou Yang, 40, and later in the day booked him on murder charges.

Court records show Yang was convicted of two felonies before the latest arrest and served both jail and prison time.

In 2017, Yang was sentenced to Wasco State Prison after he was arrested and charged with attempting to evade police officers after a hit and run collision while in possession of a controlled substance. He was also booked on charges of resisting arrest.

In 2014, Yang was sentenced to a jail sentence after he was arrested for carrying a concealed dirk or dagger, a felony under California law.

California law bars possession of a firearm or ammunition to anyone convicted of a felony.

Fresno police did not immediately return inquiries about where Yang obtained his weapon, or whether it was stolen.

The California Department of Justice has special teams that investigate whether felons, those who are mentally unstable or those who have been convicted of domestic violence, are in possession of firearms. But a recent report showed a sharp uptick in gun purchases, both in the state and the rest of the nation.

In addition, while an instant background check in California will block a prohibited person from a gun purchase, prohibited persons frequently bypass the check by buying so-called “ghost guns,” manufactured illegally in the state, or by purchasing a stolen weapon.

This story was originally published March 24, 2021 at 2:13 PM.