On March 14, 2024, at about 10:54 p.m., Fresno police responded to a reported shooting at 1475 East Bulldog Lane, near Fresno State University. Officers found 31-year-old Joel Rueda in a courtyard with a gunshot wound to his upper body. Despite officers performing CPR, Rueda was pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators determined he had been shot inside a nearby apartment and collapsed in the courtyard.

Detectives interviewed the apartment’s occupants, who were cooperative, and noted Rueda had an extensive criminal history and known gang affiliations, which they considered during the investigation. The Homicide Unit identified 26-year-old Raymond Rodriguez as the primary suspect; Rodriguez was arrested on March 22, 2024, by the Street Violence Tactical Team in a residential area near Ferger and McKinley Avenues. He was found in possession of a loaded Glock with an extended 30-round magazine and was booked into Fresno County Jail on murder and probation violation charges.

If anyone has information about Joel Rueda’s death or the events at East Bulldog Lane, please contact Fresno Police Homicide Detectives Ryan Rockwell or Mark Yee, or submit an anonymous tip to Valley Crime Stoppers.