On the night of August 18, 2023, 19-year-old Blake Pecego of Tulare, California, was found inside his vehicle in the 400 block of Outer Drive in the Linnell Camp area near Farmersville, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Deputies from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a shooting around 11 p.m.; Pecego was transported to a local hospital and later died of his injuries.

Homicide detectives identified two suspects in the killing. A 15-year-old male was located and arrested without incident on August 21, 2023, and was booked into the Juvenile Detention Facility on murder charges; a search warrant at his residence produced evidence linking him to the crime. Authorities continue to seek a second suspect. While the Linnell Camp area has been noted for gang activity, investigators have not confirmed this case is gang-related.

Pecego’s family and friends have spoken of their grief and a GoFundMe was set up to help with funeral expenses. Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective J. Thigpin or Sergeant H. Rodriguez at (559) 802-9563 or (800) 808-0488, or submit an anonymous tip at (559) 725-4194 or [email protected].

Did anyone in the Tulare or Farmersville area see or hear anything on the night of August 18 that could help identify the second suspect?