Clovis Police Arrest for Vehicle Burglary Nabs 2023 Fresno Murder Suspect

By Anthony W. Haddad

Published 7 months ago on

July 31, 2024

Clovis Police arrested a suspect, Elijah Oupathame (left), for vehicle burglary on Saturday and linked him to the 2023 fatal shooting of Ramiro Mendoza Jr. (right), 29, in Fresno. (Fresno PD)

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On Sunday, the Clovis Police Department arrested Elijah Oupathame, 19, for vehicle burglary and discovered his alleged involvement in the 2023 fatal shooting of Ramiro Mendoza Jr., 29, an unhoused man in Fresno, authorities said.

Oupathame initially provided a false name but was identified through fingerprints and subsequently charged with Mendoza’s murder.

Murder of Ramiro Mendoza Jr.

On July 5, 2023, Fresno officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert of 20 rounds fired near East Iowa Avenue and North Fifth Street. They found Mendoza in the middle of the street with multiple gunshot wounds.

Mendoza was transported to Community Regional Medical Center, where he died from his injuries.

Investigators identified Oupathame, a juvenile at the time, as the shooter. Detectives said that Oupathame, an active gang member, was celebrating the Fourth of July at a nearby residence when he confronted and shot Mendoza for unknown reasons.

Oupathame was booked into the Fresno County Jail on Monday and faces five felonies and two misdemeanors.

Got a Tip?

The Fresno Police Department is asking anyone with information about the case to contact them. Tipsters can remain anonymous by contacting Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-STOP (7867) or homicide detectives M. Yee at (559) 621-2407 and J. Baroni at (559) 621-2516.

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Anthony W. Haddad,

Multimedia Journalist

Anthony W. Haddad, who graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with his undergraduate degree and has an MBA at Fresno State, is the Swiss Army knife of GV Wire. He writes stories, manages social media, and represents the organization on the ground.