FRESNO, CA – Homicide detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office have arrested 23-year-old Austin Alvarez of Reedley. He has been booked into the Fresno County jail on two charges of murder and one charge of attempted murder. His bail is set at $2.5 million.
Around 1:45 pm on December 25th, Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a shots fired call at a home located on the 17000 block of Goodfellow Ave. in Reedley. Deputies arrived and discovered two women with fatal gunshot wounds. They are 58-year-old Magdalena Alvarez and 39-year-old Meisa Rashid. Deputies learned that the suspect, Austin Alvarez, had fled the home in his GMC pickup truck. A bulletin was issued to all law enforcement agencies to look out for the suspect’s vehicle. Actively working with sheriff’s deputies in the search were officers from the California Highway Patrol, Reedley Police, Sanger Police, Orange Cove Police and Kingsburg Police Departments. A team of officers eventually tracked Alvarez down near the intersection of American and Anchor Avenues in Orange Cove and took him into custody.
Sheriff’s homicide detectives responded to the home on Goodfellow Ave. to begin their investigation. Through interviews they learned Austin Alvarez arrived at the house where some of his family members had gathered to exchange Christmas gifts. During the visit, Alvarez fired shots striking his grandmother (Magdalena Alvarez) and his father’s girlfriend (Meisa Rashid). As Alvarez was leaving the house, he noticed his father in a parked vehicle. Alvarez fired shots in his direction, but did not strike him. Alvarez was captured a short time later approximately 10 miles away.