Clovis man who tried to kill ex-girlfriend is charged with attempted murder, cops say
A man with a documented history of domestic violence was arrested and charged with attempted murder of his ex-girlfriend during rush hour last week.
Mario Anthony Colombo, along with his alleged accomplice Jack Andrew Noriega, both were charged Tuesday with attempted, willful deliberate, premeditated murder in connection with the shooting of the Fresno woman, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Both men appeared in court on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to the multiple charges.
Judge James Kelley set Noriega’s bail at $1 million and he denied bail for Colombo.
The victim, a 41-year-old who police said previously was Colombo’s girlfriend for 15 months, was shot while driving northbound on First Street near Herndon during rush hour traffic Friday morning.
She was shot in the upper torso and crashed her vehicle, according to police, and remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
Fresno Police said Colombo was the shooter, firing shots while riding as a passenger in a vehicle driven by Noriega.
Both Colombo, a 43-year-old from Clovis, and Noriega, a 57-year-old from Fresno, face the possibility of life in prison.
“This guy was a stalker,” Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama said. “He was making threats. He waited for her to get off of work.
“We did have a documented history with this victim. We’re trying to provide and had provided services to this victim to try to get her into a better situation. Although there was no physical violence in this case prior to the attempted murder, there were threats.”
Balderrama added that Colombo had prior arrests for gun possession and methamphetamine possession, which should have prevented the suspect from obtaining a gun.
In addition to the attempted murder charge, Colombo faces charges for aggravated mayhem, stalking, assault with a firearm, criminal threats and shooting at an occupied vehicle.
“The suspect in this case had a prior arrest,” Balderrama said. “So he should not have been able to obtain a .357 Magnum that he used in this case to try to kill this lady.
“There’s too many illegally obtained guns. ... It’s a very sad and unfortunate incident.”
Colombo and Noriega were scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Fresno County Superior Court.
A GoFundMe page was created to help the victim in her recovery.
The page describes the victim as “an extraordinary single mother of two.”
How to get help
Marjaree Mason Center, Fresno County’s only dedicated provider of domestic violence shelter and support services, advises:
If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
Crisis support staff are available 24/7 at the Marjaree Mason Center by calling 559-233-4357 (HELP), emailing HELP@mmcenter.org, or in person at 1600 M Street in Fresno. Marjaree Mason Center provides crisis support, safe-housing, legal advocacy, counseling and education to adults and their children experiencing domestic violence.
This story was originally published July 13, 2021 at 9:56 PM.