Woman shot in the back, man arrested in central Fresno

A man was arrested after a stand-off Wednesday in connection with a woman who was shot in the back in central Fresno on April 13, the Fresno Police Department said.

Police responded to the area of Floradora Avenue and Ninth Street next to Yosemite Middle School around 2:30 a.m. where they found a 44-year-old woman who’d been beaten and shot.

She told officers that a man who she didn’t want to have a relationship with stopped his car when he saw her on the side of the road. The pair got into an argument, and the man allegedly hit the woman in the face, police said.

When she turned to run away, the suspect pulled out a pistol and fired twice – hitting her in the back, police said.

Police identified the man as Joseph Avila, 37, a gang member on federal probation.

Officers caught up with Avila just after midnight Wednesday morning. Police surrounded a residence where they believed he was staying.

After 30 minutes, he came out and surrendered, police said.

Police found ammunition consistent with what was found at the shooting scene.

Avila was booked into Fresno County Jail on charges of assault with a deadly weapon, being a felon in possession of ammunition and a federal probation warrant.

This story was originally published April 20, 2016 at 9:30 PM with the headline "Woman shot in the back, man arrested in central Fresno."