Update: Fresno police show video of possible suspect in shooting that killed mom and baby
An intense search of an orchard Sunday in southwest Fresno has yielded evidence that police believe will be crucial to solving the September slaying of a young mother and her infant baby.
Police also released a video of a possible person of interest in the double murder.
Yanelly Solorio Rivera, 18, and 3-week-old daughter Celine died Sept. 24 when they were struck by gunfire inside a home near Fruit and Jensen avenues. Detectives believe the mother was holding the baby when multiple gunshots were fired, fatally wounding both victims.
Fresno police last week issued a plea to the public for help with clues in the case, adding that a reward fund has been established for tips that can aid the investigation.
Fresno Police Department Lt. Paul Cervantes said that the Nov. 3 news conference spurred a new round of leads that prompted the search of an almond orchard just north of the home where the pair were killed.
“We received information that that the suspect or suspects responsible for this murder ran through this field” after the shooting, Cervantes told The Fresno Bee.
Agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms joined Fresno police and other agencies in a grid search of the orchard, bringing with them technology that located evidence, Cervantes said. He did not specify the nature of the technology, nor did he offer an explanation of what kind of evidence had been found, except to say that the technology “was not necessarily available to the Fresno Police Department” previously.
About 30 agents and officers, as well as police K-9s and drones, were involved in the search, he added. “It was a big production.”
“In addition to physical evidence we located in the field, we’ve actually located some video evidence as well,” Cervantes added. He said that video will be enhanced and will likely be publicly released soon to see if it shakes loose any additional tips from the public.
This story was originally published November 6, 2022 at 3:01 PM.
