Suspect ID’d in deadly double shooting at a family’s Christmas day party in Fresno County

A Reedley man has been identified as the suspect in a double homicide that saw his grandmother and his father’s girlfriend shot and killed and the dad fired upon at a Christmas day party.

Austin Alvarez, 23, was booked into the Fresno County Jail on suspicion of two charges of murder and one of attempted murder, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office announced in a Sunday night news release. Bail is set at $2.5 million.

The women killed were identified as Magdalena Alvarez, 58, and Meisa Rashid, 39.

Deputies responded at 1:45 p.m. Saturday to a report of gunfire at a home in the 17000 block of Goodfellow Avenue, just outside the Reedley city limits.

Magdalena Alvarez and Rashid were both found dead inside, and deputies said they learned that the suspected shooter had fled in a GMC pickup.

The incident is believed to have begun with Austin Alvarez arriving at the house where some family members had gathered for the Christmas party.

“During the visit, Alvarez fired shots striking his grandmother (Magdalena Alvarez) and his father’s girlfriend (Meisa Rashid),” the sheriff’s release stated. “As Alvarez was leaving the house, he noticed his father in a parked vehicle. Alvarez fired shots in his direction, but did not strike him.”

Officers — in a combined effort that involved sheriff’s deputies, the California Highway Patrol and the Reedley, Sanger, Orange Cove and Kingsburg police departments — arrested Alvarez a short time later, about 10 miles away near American and Anchor avenues in Orange Cove.

Sheriff’s detectives said a clear motive has not been established.

Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Det. Richard Antunez at 559-600-8221 or Valley Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867 or www.valleycrimestoppers.org.