Suspect in Visalia Area Fatal Assault & Linked Sexual Battery Cases Arrested in Alaska
VISALIA, CA — “In the summer of 2023, the Visalia Police Department began investigating two separate sexual battery cases that shared a similar suspect description and pattern of behavior. These cases were assigned to the Violent Crimes Unit due to the serious nature of the offenses.
On the evening of June 21, 2025, three additional sexual battery incidents occurred near the Oval Park area in Visalia. The suspect’s description and method matched those of the 2023 cases. Tragically, one of the victims was physically assaulted during the attack and later died from her injuries.
Through an extensive investigation, detectives identified 20-year-old Adrian Hernandez Medrano as the suspect responsible for the series of sexual batteries and the homicide between 2023 and 2025. Search warrants were executed in the City of Visalia in an attempt to locate Medrano and gather evidence. During the operation, detectives discovered Medrano had fled the state and was believed to be in Alaska.
Last week, Visalia Police Department detectives traveled to the Kenai area of Alaska, where they successfully located and arrested Medrano with the assistance of the Alaska State Troopers. He was booked into a county jail in Alaska and is currently awaiting extradition back to Tulare County. Medrano faces multiple charges of sexual battery and one count of homicide.
The Visalia Police Department would like to thank the Alaska State Troopers and the Soldotna Police Department for their valuable assistance in the investigation and apprehension of the suspect. #visaliapd”
