TULARE COUNTY, CA – Tulare County Sheriffs have one suspect in custody and are searching for a second in the murder of a 58-year-old man found shot to death.
On October 15th, deputies were called to the area of Avenue 80 and Road 264 in Terra Bella for a man found dead in an orchard. When they arrived, deputies found the man had been shot to death. He was later identified as 58-year-old Douglas R. Cline.
The TCSO Homicide Unit took over the investigation. During the investigation, Detectives identified 24-year-old Jose Reyes, 23-year-old Jesus Manjarrez, and 38-year-old Dan Eli Perez as suspects in the murder. Detectives also found five addresses associated with the suspects.
On 10/28/2021, the TCSO Homicide Unit, along with the TCSO SWAT Unit, the Visalia Police Department SWAT Unit, the Porterville Police Department SWAT Unit, the Tulare Regional Auto Theft Task Force, the Kern Auto Theft Task Force and the High Impact Investigation Team, served 5 search warrants between Terra Bella, Earlimart, and Delano. During the searches, Manjarrez and Perez were found and arrested. Detectives also found 12 guns, 28 magazines, 1 grenade launcher, approximately 1 pound of suspected cocaine, approximately 1 pound of suspected heroin, approximately 1.5 pounds of suspected fentanyl and over $15,000 cash.
Manjarrez and Perez were booked at the Tulare County Sheriff’s South County Jail Facility, where they will face charges of Conspiracy to commit murder and murder. They both are being held with no bail.
24-year-old Jose Omar Bello Reyes is still outstanding. The TCSO Homicide Unit is asking for the public’s help in finding him. He is known to frequent Earlimart, Delano, McFarland and Bakersfield.
According to Bakersfield.com, Reyes is a local celebrity of sorts.
“Bello is known locally for reading a poem titled “Dear America” at a forum on collaboration between ICE and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office held in 2019 by the Kern County Board of Supervisors. The poem criticized America’s immigration policies such as family separation and the detention of immigrants undergoing deportation proceedings,” the paper reported.