Published
1 year agoon
California governors are empowered to offer rewards for information leading to arrests in unsolved crimes.
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom utilized that law to offer four $50,000 rewards for murder cases in Fresno, Visalia, San Pablo, and Butte County.
Here’s a look at the cases:
There’s a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction for the murder of Jacqueline Flores.
“I am grateful that the Governor’s Office is assisting us with this $50,000.00 reward to aid us in identifying those responsible for Jacqueline’s death,” said Fresno Police Chief Paco Balderrama in a news release Tuesday. “We wholeheartedly believe that with this reward, someone from our community will step forward and help us with this unsolved, senseless murder.”
On July 27, 2021, the 25-year-old mother was in her vehicle with her 6-year-old daughter when she was fatally shot. She was parked near Kearney Boulevard and Thorne Avenue, close to the Fresno Chandler Executive Airport. The bullets narrowly missed her daughter in the back seat.
The Fresno Police Department has exhausted all investigative leads at this time.
Individuals with information about this murder should contact Fresno Police Department Det. Miguel Alvarez at (559) 621-2441, miguel.alvarez@fresno.gov or Det. Ben Barnes at (559) 621-2421, ben.barnes@fresno.gov.
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Anyone with information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the murders of Jose Hernandez, Blake Medeiros, and Isaiah Rule is eligible for a $50,000 reward.
On May 5, 2020, 19-year-olds Hernandez and Medeiros and 18-year-old Rule were fatally shot in their vehicle outside of Golden West High School. They were not students at the school, according to Visalia Unified.
Anyone with information about these murders should contact Visalia Police Department Det. Robert Meier at (559) 713-4211.
There’s a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the murder of Marc Thompson.
On September 3, 2014, the 25-year-old was fatally shot while parked in a remote, wooded location. Those with information about the murder should contact Butte County Sheriff’s Sgt. Patrick McNelis or Det. Tristian Harper at (530) 538-7671.
A $50,000 reward is offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the murder of Shawn Tillis.
On June 12, 2020, the 27-year-old father was fatally shot in his vehicle outside of an apartment complex. Anyone with tips on this case should contact San Pablo Police Department Sgt. Robert Brady at (510) 215-3295, RobertB@sanpabloca.gov or Det. Anthony Biama at (510) 215-3133, AnthonyB@sanpabloca.gov.
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email