Man Gets 25 Years in Fatal Shooting at Lovers Lane Gas Station in Visalia

By Bill McEwen, News Director

Published 12 months ago on

May 14, 2024

Francisco Rodriguez, 27, received a 25-to-life sentence on Monday following his conviction last month for a fatal shooting at a Visalia gas station on Lovers Lane. (Shutterstock)

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A man who fled to Mexico in an attempt to dodge a Tulare County murder charge will spend a minimum of 25 years in state prison.

Francisco Rodriguez Booking Photo — Francisco Rodriguez

Francisco Rodriguez, 27, received a 25-to-life sentence on Monday in Tulare County Superior Court following his conviction last month for a fatal shooting at a Visalia gas station on Lovers Lane.

According to prosecutors, Rodriguez shot a man to death on Aug. 7, 2022, after a dispute broke out between two groups at the gas station.

Surveillance video there captured the deadly confrontation in its entirety, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

Rodriguez fled to Mexico but was arrested at the border in June 2023 and returned to Tulare County.

Under state sentencing laws, Rodriguez must serve 25 years for the second-degree murder — not including credits determined by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation — before he is eligible for parole.

Supervising Deputy DA Kalina Laleva prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Visalia Police Department.

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Bill McEwen,

News Director

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