VISALIA (KMJ) — Numerous crimes spanning multiple Tulare County cities have resulted in the death of a suspect, two murders, two attempted murders, an armed robbery, gunfire targeting two homes and a high speed pursuit which ended with a multi-vehicle crash.
Investigators place 36 year suspect old Gustavo Garcia at the center of what Sheriff Mike Boudreaux calls a “reign of terror.”
According to Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, the first incident in the series was around 1pm Sunday. A farmworker reported multiple shots fired in the area of Balaam and Fillbert, later discovering he had been shot in the chest. He was taken to the hospital.
Deputies said two men then walked into a convenience store at ‘D’ and Clarence Streets a few minutes later, demanded money, and fired three shots at the ceiling. Detectives established the same vehicle had been used in both incidents and identified the suspect as 36 year old Gustavo Garcia. A media release was sent out by Tulare County Sheriff’s Office asking the public for help tracking him down.
Approximately two hours later, police were alerted to a shooting in Lindsey leaving one man dead. Investigators believe Garcia may have been involved in that incident as well.
Tulare County Sheriff’s Office confirms Garcia was involved in an attempted murder at a Motel 6 in Tulare around 7.30pm, and an assault with a deadly weapon in Visalia around 7.45pm.
The following day, on Monday, investigators believe Garcia fired shots into the Shell Gas Station in Pixley, and then an hour later Visalia Police was alerted to a “shots fired” call at a gas station on Lovers Lane and Mineral King Avenue. Deputies arrived to find a man dead. Around 45 minutes later, officers received reports of shots fired at a home in Visalia and later at a home in Sultana.
“We believe Garcia was the shooter in that murder,” said Sheriff Mike Boudreaux.
According to Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, deputies caught up with the suspect vehicle, resulting in deputies firing shots at Road 140 and Avenue 256. The suspect then stole a vehicle and the pursuit ended with a crash at Highway 65, north of Linda Vista Avenue, killing the suspect.
Hear the report from KMJ’s Dominic McAndrew as it aired:
