1 month ago
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FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - Over the weekend, constabulary successful Texas announced they arrested 48-year-old Cristino Rocha, a antheral who had been wanted successful transportation with a homicide that took spot successful Fresno successful May of 2023.
Police accidental Rocha was a fishy successful the shooting decease of 39-year-old Paul Fierro.
It had been implicit 2 years present since Fierro had been killed, and the nationalist hadn't gotten that overmuch caller accusation connected the case. But each that changed erstwhile helium was arrested successful cardinal Texas past week.
"After the archetypal mates of months had gone by, I didn't truly expect to perceive thing other from the story. Especially, it's been 2 years now. Yeah, I did not expect to perceive thing from it again," Travis Samonas said. He knew Rocha from his enactment arsenic a landscaper.
"He did the sprinklers astatine a spot I was renting. He was ever professional," helium added.
Samonas says helium ne'er had an contented moving with Rocha. Neither did Aaron Zaheen, who besides employed him for landscaping and gardening work.
"Honestly, to this day, the champion gardener I've ever had," Zaheen said.
But that changed successful May of 2023.
"Cristino was my gardener for 4 years. And 1 day, helium conscionable went missing. He didn't amusement up to chopped the tract and I didn't cognize wherever helium was," Zaheen said.
Zaheen said astatine archetypal helium didn't cognize what happened.
"I deliberation a few days later, the quality came retired that helium was wanted for murder. So ideate my astonishment 2 years later, reasoning he'd gotten distant with it," helium added.
Fresno Police accidental Rocha was progressive successful a shooting that killed 39-year-old Paul Fierro connected May 28, 2023. At the time, they said determination was an statement betwixt the 2 men.
News affiliates successful Texas study that U.S. Marshals began to way him, and successful June, it was believed that helium was successful the San Antonio country moving arsenic a dishwasher oregon a cook. By July 22, the U.S. Marshals and the Waco Police Department arrested him and booked him into jail.
Jail records successful McLennan County successful Texas amusement he's been booked nether suspicion of execution and wasn't fixed bail. Zaheen says helium hopes this apprehension helps bring justness for Fierro's family, but said that if Rocha's got a bully defense, helium hopes he's capable to explicit it successful court.
"I person a small girl, and my small miss would beryllium retired determination interacting with Cristino, and he'd beryllium saccharine with them," helium said. "My small girls were that adjacent to a feline who is present arrested for murder."
Rocha is inactive successful jailhouse successful Texas. The nationalist accusation serviceman for the Fresno County Sheriff says they expect him to get extradited backmost to California sometime successful August.
