Two suspects dead, two arrested, three on the loose
FRESNO – Two suspects were arrested, two are dead, and three more are on the run following an apparent attempt to rob a home of marijuana and money Thursday morning.
Seven gunmen identifying themselves as law enforcement kicked in a door at a home on Orange Avenue near American Avenue and forced their way in. One of the men in the home was pistol whipped as the suspects robbed the home of marijuana and cash, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Department.
At some point, the suspects and the victims began to exchange gunfire in front of several children who were in the home, authorities said.
“A teenage girl was used as a human shield as the suspects were leaving the residence, and they kidnapped her, putting her in the car,” Sheriff Margaret Mims said.
Deputies arriving at the home heard gunshots and saw two cars speeding away at over 100 mph without headlights or taillights. The deputies chased the cars, one of which was holding the two girls, and were able to follow one of the cars to Community Regional Medical Center, authorities said.
The officers ordered the two occupants to the ground and then discovered a wounded man still wearing a ski mask inside the car. The officers gave him CPR but he died inside the hospital a short time later, Mims said.
The other car holding the hostage managed to get away but the suspects dropped the girl off unhurt near downtown Fresno. Deputies are still on the lookout for the suspects and the car, which is described as a green Honda with a paper license plate with the word “CORONA.”
Back at the scene of the home invasion, deputies spotted a wounded man lying nearby. The suspect reached for a weapon, but was subdued. He later died of gunshot wounds he apparently received during the shootout at the home, authorities said.
The two suspects who were arrested are Sergio Hernandez, 23, and Chi Tang, 31. The two dead suspects have not been identified.
At the site of the home invasion, deputies found three marijuana plots and around 150 plants. It is unclear yet whether the residence had any medical marijuana plants at the residence, but Mims said that the incident was “directly related to drug trafficking and not medical marijuana.”
Read More:
YourCentralValley: Deadly home invasion
ABC30: 2 killed in Fresno County home invasion
FresnoBee: Apparent pot raid leads to shootout
