Three Suspects Arrested for Double Homicide Outside of Fresno

FRESNO COUNTY – Sheriff’s deputies have arrested three people in connection with a shooting Monday afternoon that left two men dead.

Jose Alfredo Himenez

Arrested for the murders were 51-year-old Jose Alfredo Jimenez, his son Jose Mario Jimenez, 34, and his stepson, 18-year-old Michael Ray Pranger.

The shooting happened shortly after 3 p.m. on Monday in the driveway of a mobile home on south Cherry Avenue near Central Avenue where the two Jimenez men lived. The incident may have started out as a fight between four of the men earlier in the day.

Jose Mario Jimenez

“There was some kind of disturbance earlier on, probably around the noon-time hour, where a gun was displayed. That is something we are looking into. The shooting may have been a result of that,” said Chris Curtice, spokesperson for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department.

No one called the police at the time of the first argument, but a few hours later two of the men apparently opened fire on the victims, according to the sheriff’s department.

When authorities arrived at the scene, they found two men who had been shot in the torso. One of them was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other one was transported to Community Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The identities of the victims have not been released.

Jose Mario Jimenez was arrested a few hours after the shooting took place. Jose Alfredo Jimenez and Michael Ray Pranger turned themselves in to the sheriff’s department in downtown Fresno on Tuesday. Authorities recovered at least one weapon that was used in the shooting.

The sheriff’s department is trying to determine whether drugs may have played a role in Monday’s fight and subsequent shooting. Investigators found 300 marijuana plants growing behind the mobile home where the men were killed.

“We are looking into whether that was a motive for the shooting,” Curtice said.

The sheriff’s department and federal agents spent Tuesday morning destroying the illegal grow. They estimate the marijuana had a street value of more than $2.5 million.

Read More:

Fresno Bee: Father, Son Suspects in Double Homicide South of Fresno

KMPH: Double Murder in Fresno County; Father, Sons Arrested

Three Suspects Arrested for Double Homicide Outside of Fresno was last modified: January 11th, 2019 by admin
Categories: Fresno

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Elizabeth Warmerdam

Beth Warmerdam is a freelance journalist based out of Reedley. She graduated from Fresno State in 2004 with a BA in print journalism and has worked for several newspapers and magazines. In addition to writing, Beth enjoys being a stay-at-home mom, trying to keep up with her 2-year-old son, Zachary.