Fresno’s 52nd homicide of year solved, police say. Who’s being held without bail
Fresno police have arrested a man accused of being responsible for the city’s 52nd homicide this year, according to Police Chief Paco Balderrama.
Michael Hartley, 43, was found with a gunshot wound to his lower body around 10 p.m. Wednesday at the Palace Inn motel near Parkway and Belmont avenues west oof Highway 99, according to police.
Hartley later died at Community Regional Medical Center.
Officers obtained information at the scene that pointed to 46-year-old Abel Tello, who was described as a Bulldog gang member, police said.
Tello was arrested on suspicion of murder. He’s being held without bail, according to Fresno County Jail records.
Police have not released any specific motive for the shooting.
Violent crime
Fresno has seen 52 homicides in 2021. Last year tallied 74 homicides, a figure not recorded in the city in nearly 25 years.
“If you go back to last year, we had several months from September to December of double-digit homicides,” the chief said.
The Fresno Police Department solved 38% of those 74 homicide from 2020, Balderrama said, noting the rate is “not good.”
He said the department this year sits at 64% solved with several cases pending.
Gang suppression
Balderrama said Friday his officers and special units have worked with law enforcement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to crack down on gang violence.
The most recent example began Thursday morning, when officers conducted a search warrant operation targeting Bulldog gang members, according to Balderrama. Police were looking for guns and evidence related to gun crimes.
Police took two illegal loaded handguns, more than 100 rounds of ammunition, a half-ounce of methamphetamine and gang-related materials from seven locations.
Officers also made six arrests though the names and ages of those arrested were not immediately available. That included three males on parole, one male on probation and two people who had felony warrants, which included one male and one female.
A gang suppression operation that dates back to Aug. 5 has resulted in 408 arrests, according to Balderrama. That includes 154 felony arrests and seizure of 63 guns.
“Many people were scared because of several things that happened around the city,” Balderrama said. “They need to know that their police department is doing everything that we can to make this community safe.
“I’m very confident that by the end of the year we’re going to have a lower crime rate, as far as violent crime,” he said.
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 12:27 PM.
