Fresno Man Faces Murder Charges in Double-Fatal DUI Crash

By Anthony W. Haddad

Published 3 months ago on

January 9, 2025

Joal Lee Campbell, 36, of Fresno, has a history of impaired driving faces murder charges after a DUI crash killed two people. (GV Wire File)

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A Fresno man with a history of impaired driving offenses is facing murder charges after a double-fatal DUI crash earlier this week, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

Joal Lee Campbell, 36, of Fresno, is accused of running a red light at high speed on near Belmont and Palm avenues on Monday evening, slamming his Ford Ranger pickup into a Chevrolet S10.

The crash killed Robert Castro Ruiz, 71, and Raymond Leigh Sandoval, 62, both of Fresno.

According to the Fresno Police Department, Campbell’s blood alcohol content was nearly three times the legal limit, with methamphetamine and THC also detected in his system.

He was driving on a suspended license and had a prior DUI arrest in 2021.

Prosecutors have charged Campbell with two counts of murder, multiple DUI-related offenses, and failure to stop at a red light.

If convicted, he faces up to 60 years to life in prison, officials said.

Campbell is in custody and is set to be arraigned on Thursday in Fresno Superior Court, the DA’s office said.

Find Sandoval’s Family

The Fresno County Sheriff-Coroner’s office said that they are having a difficult time finding the family of Sandoval.

If anyone has information, call (559) 600-3400.

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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.