Joshua Thao was 36 when he was shot and killed on August 16, 2020, in East Central Fresno. He had gone to the intersection of Backer and Belmont avenues to help a friend after a two-car collision and attempted to mediate between the drivers. The driver of the other vehicle called her ex-boyfriend, Damion Salinas, who arrived with several other men. An argument followed and Salinas allegedly asked Thao about his gang affiliation before shooting him in the chest.

Thao’s death devastated his family, including his sister, actress Brooke Chia Thao. Investigators initially had few leads after the shooter and his companions left the scene. Authorities later located and arrested Damion Salinas in Mexico; he was charged with one count of murder. Prosecutors introduced video evidence, and in May 2024 a Fresno County Superior Court judge found there was sufficient evidence to send the case to trial. Salinas has pleaded not guilty and his defense has argued he may have felt threatened.

Does anyone have information about the collision that brought Joshua to Backer and Belmont or about witnesses who saw what happened after the crash?