Homicide detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office have arrested the man responsible for murdering a Malaga man on July 9, 2021.
The suspect is 18 year old Richard Aguilar of Fresno, who is an active Calwa gang member. He has been booked into the Fresno County Jail for murder, as well as an outstanding warrant for robbery.
On July 9th, 52 year old Javier Fernandez was shot and killed near his home in Malaga. Detectives identified a silver Honda CRV as the vehicle belonging to the suspects. Later in the day, that stolen vehicle was found burned near Jensen and Cedar Avenues. Surveillance video captured four people running from that scene. Detectives later released that image to the public and it generated two key tips to Valley Crime Stoppers. One of which pointed to a house near Bond and Belmont where Richard Aguilar lived.
During the course of this three month long investigation, search warrants were served at a total of 14 locations, 14 arrests were made and 12 firearms were seized. The arrest of Aguilar occurred on October 7th at a home on the 2200 block of Norris Drive East in Fresno’s Mayfair District. The sheriff’s SWAT team found Aguilar barricaded in a room. He refused to come out, so deputies deployed tear gas, which ultimately caused him to surrender.
Arrestees and charges
• Christina Lopez, 42, of Madera. She faces felony charges of conspiracy to provide firearms to a minor for the benefit of a street gang, child endangerment and conspiracy to provide a firearm to a gang member.
• Christopher Gutierrez, 18, of Fresno. He faces felony charges of conspiracy to provide firearms to a minor for the benefit of a street gang,
• Angel Galvez, 19, of Fresno. He faces felony charges for domestic violence.
• Grasin Williams, 19 of Fresno. He faces felony charges of conspiracy to provide firearms to a minor for the benefit of a street gang
• Julian Carrillo, 19, of Sanger. He faces felony charges for domestic violence.
• Fady Barhoum, 19 of Clovis. He faces felony charges of evading the police for the benefit of a street gang, assault with a deadly weapon for the benefit of a street gang, and possession of a firearm as a gang member
• Romeo Tobias, 24, of Fresno. He faces felony charges of conspiracy to illegally sell firearms for the benefit of a street gang and possession of a firearm as a gang member
• Cierra Perez, 22, of Fresno. She faces felony charges of conspiracy to illegally sell firearms for the benefit of a street gang and possession of a loaded and concealed firearm
• Luis Ramirez, 33, of Fresno. He faces felony charges of probation violation and being an accessory to a crime.
• 14 year old boy from Fresno. He faces felony charges gun possession, conspiracy to commit crimes and street gang enhancements.
• 13 year old boy from Fresno. He faces felony charges gun possession, conspiracy to commit crimes and street gang enhancements.
Additionally, two other men have been charged as a result of this investigation. They are 47 year old Jesse Aguilar, (a.k.a. Paya) of Fresno and 40 year old Juan Venegas of Fresno. Both were arraigned Friday morning in a Fresno County courtroom. Aguilar (no relation to Robert Aguilar) and Venegas were charged with conspiracy to commit murder for the benefit of a Calwa street gang, spanning the dates of September 25 to October 3, 2021. At the time of this offense, Aguilar was incarcerated at Salinas Valley State Prison on a life sentence after being convicted for the 2014 gang-related murder of Fernando Zapata.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium (MAGEC) would like to thank several law enforcement agencies for their great assistance throughout this investigation. They include: The California Highway Patrol, Fresno Police Department and Fresno County District Attorney’s Office.
