Joseph Raymond Gutierrez II, 35, of Fresno, California, died on March 19, 2021. He was known as Joey or Big Joe and remembered by family as a devoted father to Emmalynn Sophia Gutierrez and Joseph Raymond Gutierrez III and as a warm, teddy bear–like presence who brought joy to those around him.

Court records show a criminal case titled The People of the State of California vs. Joseph Raymond Gutierrez, II was filed November 30, 2020, in Fresno County Superior Court; the case went through arraignments and motions and was listed as pending, with a bench warrant issued at one point. Around the same time there were reports of a security guard being accused of killing a homeless man in northeast Fresno, though a direct connection to Gutierrez’s death is not stated.

Several elements around his death and the legal proceedings remain unclear. If anyone knew Joey or has information about his death or the related events in northeast Fresno, please share what you know.