Fresno County Sheriff’s K-9 Cyra (pronounced Kiera) is recovering at home after suffering stab wounds.
Cyra is a three year old Belgian Malinois who has been working in the field for about one year. The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the incredible staff at 24/7 PetVets in Fresno for their medical care of Cyra.
The man responsible for stabbing K-9 Cyra is 27 year old Gabriel Mata of Fresno. He is currently at Community Regional Medical Center listed in critical condition. Mata has been electronically booked into the Fresno County Jail on charges of domestic violence.
Shortly before 5:00 pm on Sunday, officers with the Fresno Police Department went to the area of S. Maple and E. American Avenues in Fresno to search for a wanted felon by the name of Gabriel Mata. Mata is the same suspect Fresno Police attempted to negotiate with during a standoff at a home south of the Tower District on Saturday. During officers’ attempts to contact Mata at the home near Maple and American, Mata ran away. Fresno Police requested a Sheriff’s K-9 deputy respond to assist in the search due to it being a county location. Officers eventually gained sight of Mata near the railroad tracks west of Maple and K-9 Cyra was deployed to apprehend Mata. During this time K-9 Cyra suffered stab wounds and two Fresno Police officers fired their guns. Officers immediately provided medical aid to Mata and coordinated his transportation to the hospital. Deputies also transported K-9 Cyra to 24/7 PetVets for medical treatment, which included stitches and staples.
Due to the location being in the county, detectives with the Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office responded to the scene to conduct an Officer Involved Shooting (OIS) investigation. Precise details of what took place are not available for release at this time. Detectives must still interview officers involved in the call for service and analyze evidence to better understand the totality of the situation.
Anyone with additional information that can help in this investigation is asked to please contact Detective Frank Perez at (559) 600-8207 or Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867, www.valleycrimestoppers.org You will remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
