Parlier man to face murder trial for shooting family of local musicians
Israel “Izzy” Trevino III testified in Fresno County Superior Court on Thursday that he knew something wasn’t right when he saw a suspicious truck stop in front of his grandfather’s house in Parlier on May 2.
The stranger, 60-year-old Joe Gomez Jr. of Parlier, got out, pulled a gun from his waistband and after a brief confrontation with the Trevinos began firing.
Killed was Israel Trevino Jr., 57, of Selma. Critically wounded was 33-year-old Izzy Trevino. Gomez also pulled a knife on Izzy Trevino’s uncle, Bicente Trevino Jr. but he was not injured.
Gomez is charged with murder, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Judge Jonathan Conklin found enough evidence during Gomez’s preliminary hearing Thursday to order that he face trial on all the charges.
Prosecutor Nicole Idiart carefully questioned an emotional Izzy Trevino about what happened the day of the shooting.
Izzy Trevino said he and his dad and uncle are musicians and were practicing just inside the open garage at his grandfather’s home. The Trevinos play a style of music known as conjunto, accordion-driven music backed by a 12-string guitar and an acoustic bass guitar.
Izzy Trevino told Idiart he remembered seeing an unfamiliar truck drive by his grandfather’s father several times that morning, but never stopping.
As the truck approached again, it stopped in front of the grandfather’s house on East Parlier Avenue, next door to the El Rancho Market, Izzy Trevino said.
He put down his 12-string bajo sexto guitar and approached the man, his father not far behind. No one in the family knew who he was, he testified.
“I told him to get out of here,” Izzy Trevino said.
And then he said something strange, he added.
“He said, ‘Your grandfather has been talking (expletive) about me on Facebook,’” Izzy Trevino said. “My grandfather is 76 years old and doesn’t even have a Facebook.”
Idiart asked if anyone of the family members threatened Gomez, and Trevino said no.
As Izzy Trevino and his father got closer to Gomez, who was still standing near his truck, he reached into his right pocket and pulled out a gun, Izzy Trevino testified.
When Idiart asked what happened next, Izzy Trevino paused for a few seconds as he began to silently weep. He composed himself and continued.
“I saw him (Gomez) raise it toward my father and I just heard my dad say, “no,” he said. “He was trying to stop his hand from being raised so my dad ran towards him and then I heard the first shot into my dad’s belly.”
As his father began to fall forward, Izzy Trevino testified that he started moving towards Gomez, who was backpedaling.
“Then the gun got raised to my belly and I looked down to see it and he fired two times, and then he shot two more times hitting me in the pelvis. I grabbed his wrist and I fell on top of him. I tried to hit him in the face but I’m not sure how many were successful.”
Izzy Trevino was shot five times, four times in his mid-section and a bullet grazed his eye. He spent 11 days in the hospital, he said.
His uncle, Bicente Trevino Jr., testified that he too tried to subdue Gomez. He ran over to the fight and as Gomez was on the ground, he took his gun away and kicked him once in the face. But Gomez got back up and threatened the uncle with a knife, demanding his gun back. The uncle complied.
“He just shot somebody and I didn’t think he would have any trouble stabbing me,” Bicente Trevino Jr. said.
Along with being musicians, Israel Trevino Jr. was a correctional officer for 15 years and his son has been a correctional officer for five years.
Gomez’s defense attorney, Roger Nuttall, attempted to show that his client may have felt threatened by the Trevinos as they came out of the garage and towards Gomez and his truck. Nuttall also asked the Trevinos if any one else saw or heard what happened, and they said they were the only witnesses.
Gomez will be arraigned Oct. 28. If he is found guilty of all the charges he could face up to 82 years to life in prison.
