Detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff's Office have booked 42 year old Jose Zepeda into the Fresno County Jail on two counts of murder.
His bail is $2 million. This case is expected to be given to the Fresno County District Attorney's Office this week so they can make a decision whether or not to file charges.
Around 7:00 pm on November 23, 2008, Parlier Police received a report of shots fired at the Salandini Villa Apartments located at 13785 E. Manning Avenue in Parlier. Officers arrived and found two men in one of the units who had been shot and killed. The victims were 25 year old Gilberto Coria Bustos and 24 year old Malaquias Pacheco Flores. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office was contacted to take over the investigation and detectives responded to the scene.
The next day, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office notified us of a possible lead on our case. Tulare County Sheriff's deputies said they responded to a call on the night of the 23rd where a man driving on a road in Traver claimed he had been attacked and shot. He was transported to the hospital for treatment. Thinking he may have been involved in the disturbance at the Parlier apartment, Fresno County Sheriff detectives went to the hospital to talk to this man, but he had already checked out of the hospital. Detectives learned he was 31 year old Jose Zepeda. Detectives tried to track down Zepeda at his known addresses, but were never able to find him.
Weeks later, forensic evidence came back from the car Zepeda was found driving. Blood in the car matched blood samples collected at the Parlier crime scene. There was also a cell phone in the car, which had a call history connected to the two victims, Bustos and Flores. Detectives continued to try and find Zepeda, but had no luck. The investigation did reveal that the motive for the shooting was a drug deal that had gone bad.
One of the original detectives, who is retired, now works cold cases for our office. He recently searched for Zepeda and uncovered an arrest record in Kern County. In January 2019, Zepeda was arrested for arson. A house caught fire where he had an illegal marijuana growing operation. He received probation for the crime.
Our detective requested an arrest warrant for the now 42 year old Jose Zepeda. On Tuesday, November 12, 2019, our deputy who works with the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force went to a home on Capistrano Court in Bakersfield and arrested him.
We would like to hear from anyone who knows Zepeda, especially if you have had contact with him in the last 11 years. Your information could help make this a successful prosecution. You could also be eligible for a cash reward if it leads to a conviction. Submit your tip to Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-7867 or www.valleycrimestoppers.org
