Fresno County truck yard owner and theft suspects face off in a shootout, deputies say
A theft of diesel equipment Wednesday on a rural property in Fresno County ended in a short gun battle, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office.
The owner of a Malaga truck yard approached two men near Garfield and Olive avenues after using GPS to track down a missing truck about 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, deputies said.
As he approached, at least one of the two men fired multiple shots at him on the property west of the city of Fresno, the sheriff’s office said. The owner was also armed and fired back, deputies said.
The men fled in a U-Haul truck. The owner was not struck by the gunfire but it’s unclear of the men who fled were injured, according to deputies.
A report came in shortly after the shootout of an empty diesel tank lying on the ground near McKinley and Chateau Fresno avenues, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities said they believe the tank fell from the U-Haul as the men fled towards Kerman, but the tank did not belong to the truck yard owner.
Deputies determined the U-Haul was stolen and that the owner had a permit to legally carry his gun, according to Tony Botti, spokesperson for the sheriff’s office.
One stolen big rig from the owner’s property was also recovered on Wednesday, according to the sheriff’s office.
This story was originally published October 27, 2021 at 2:07 PM.
