On July 20, 2023, at about 4:30 p.m. Visalia police responded to reports of a shooting on Rinaldi Street near Houston Avenue and found 46-year-old Umberto Mendoza, a member of the unhoused community, with a gunshot wound. Mendoza was taken to a local hospital and later died from his injuries.

In the early hours of July 22, 2023, around 1:00 a.m., the Visalia Police Department’s SWAT team executed a search warrant on North Elm Street near the initial scene. Three people were arrested and charged with Mendoza’s murder: 36-year-old Jeremy Tapleras, 19-year-old Nicholaus Saechao, and a 16-year-old male. Tapleras and Saechao were booked into the Tulare County Pre-Trial Facility; the juvenile was placed in the Juvenile Detention Facility.

Authorities have not released a motive or described each person’s specific role, and the investigation remains active. If anyone has information that could help clarify what happened, contact the Visalia Police Department.