Local News

Random Shooting at Walgreens Leaves One Dead

MADERA - Shots rang out at the West Cleveland Avenue Walgreens in Madera on Monday evening around 9:30 p.m. One employee was killed, and Madera Police have one suspect in custody. Little is known at this time about 30-year-old Narciso Gallardo Fernandez, who drove from his hometown of Pixley in search of a pharmacy to shoot up, as he appears to have a grudge against that type of business.

Walgreen’s employee Erick Velasquez was in the process of calling 911 when he was allegedly shot with a bullet from Fernandez’s weapon. Police say Fernandez emptied his gun in the store and was in the process of reloading when Madera Police took him into custody. It appears the killing was random as police say there was no known relation between the two men, nor does the suspect have any ties with the city of Madera.

Fresno-Based Bank Fraud Scheme Recruited Participants on Facebook

FRESNO - Abreiana Rogers, 29, of Los Angeles, made an initial appearance in federal court in Fresno Thursday for charges stemming from her participation in a year-long bank fraud scheme that sought to defraud credit unions of nearly $1 million, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

Five co-defendants in the scheme first appeared in November 2024: Fresno residents Nyric Hinton, 26; Zion Brewer, 39; Zorian Temple, 23; Davonntae Barfield, 30; and Harry Cooper Neal, 29.

Former Controller Indicted for Embezzling Over $1 Million from Fresno Fruit Wholesaler

FRESNO - Last month, a federal grand jury returned a six-count indictment against Sergio Zacarias Lopez, 57, a Mexican citizen residing in Fresno, charging him with bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and illegal re-entry of a removed alien, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. The indictment was unsealed following his arrest today.

According to court documents, between January 2016 and June 2023, Zacarias Lopez abused his position as the accounting supervisor and controller to defraud a family-run Fresno fruit wholesaler. Zacarias Lopez would write multiple company checks payable to “cash” and then deposit them into his personal bank account through local ATMs. He signed the fraudulent checks using the signatures of other employees with signatory authority, including one of the company's founders.

Two Arrested After 80 Pounds of Methamphetamine Seized in Madera County

MADERA COUNTY - On Thursday, March 20, 2025, Detectives recovered 80 pounds of methamphetamine during a vehicle search in Madera County. Following the discovery, they arrested 41-year-old Juan Salgado and 39-year-old Fernando Rascon for multiple felony charges, including sales, distribution, and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. The southern California natives were booked into the Madera County Jail without incident.

This case is the product of a joint investigation by the regional Madera County Narcotic Enforcement Team (MADNET), comprised of detectives from the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, Madera County Probation, and the Madera County District Attorney’s Office, and the California Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Fresno County High Impact Investigation Team (HIIT). The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California will be pursuing federal prosecution of Salgado.

Three Madera County Men Indicted for Conspiring to Distribute 150,000 Fentanyl Pills

FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against Jesus Valdez Castaneda, 28, of San Bernardino, California, Carlos German Fierro, 29, of Caruthers, California, and Alejandro Soto Mares, 43, of Mexico, charging them with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, Acting United States Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.

According to court documents, the defendants conspired with other individuals to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl. The men arranged to sell 150,000 fentanyl pills in a strip mall parking lot in Madera on Feb. 21, 2025. Castaneda and Soto Mares arrived first and met with a co-conspirator who had agreed to buy the pills. After agreeing on price, Fierro and two other co-conspirators arrived with the pills in a second car.