Sheriff: Reedley Man Fatally Shot Grandmother, Father’s Girlfriend on Christmas

A 23-year-old man is accused of fatally shooting his grandmother and his father’s girlfriend and firing shots at his father on Christmas as the family gathered to exchange gifts in a Reedley area home.

Austin Alvarez was arrested Saturday on suspicion of murder and attempted murder. He remains in the Fresno County jail on $2.5 million bail. It was not immediately clear whether he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.

Alvarez shot and killed his 58-year-old grandmother, Magdalena Alvarez, and his father’s girlfriend, 39-year-old Meisa Rashid, around 1:45 p.m., the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Alvarez fled the home and fired shots at his father, who was in a parked vehicle outside, but did not hit him, the sheriff’s office said.

The home where the shooting took place is located on the 17000 block of Goodfellow Ave. in Reedley.

The Sheriff’s Office said deputies, aided by officers from the California Highway Patrol, Reedley Police, Sanger Police, Orange Cove Police and Kingsburg Police departments, eventually tracked Alvarez down near the intersection of American and Anchor Avenues in Orange Cove and took him into custody.

Detectives have not yet determined a motive for the shootings.

The Christmas Day shooting took place at a home on Goodfellow Avenue near S. Reed, according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. (Map via FCSO)

GV Wire contributed to this report.