Dominique Bustamante

In the early hours of July 23, 2022, Dominique Bustamante, a 41-year-old man, was shot and killed in his hometown of Fresno, California. Around 3:20 a.m., Bustamante was driving his car with his girlfriend in the passenger seat. He was stopped at a red light at the intersection of Clinton and Maroa Avenues when an assailant opened fire, striking the vehicle multiple times.

Fresno police officers were alerted to the gunfire by a ShotSpotter notification and arrived at the scene to find that Bustamante’s car had crashed into a parked vehicle. He was in the driver’s seat, having been struck once in the head by a bullet. Paramedics pronounced Dominique Bustamante dead at the scene. His girlfriend was not hit by the gunfire but suffered minor injuries from the crash; she was taken to Community Regional Medical Center, where she was treated and released.

Homicide detectives began an immediate investigation, collecting multiple shell casings from the intersection and searching for witnesses and surveillance footage. While authorities were still investigating a potential motive, they stated that they did not believe the shooting was a random act of violence. The investigation continued for several months until police identified a suspect.

In January 2023, the Fresno Police Department named 35-year-old Hector Arreola as the man wanted for Bustamante's murder. Working with the U.S. Marshals Office, investigators tracked Arreola to a Motel 6 on Wells Avenue in Reno, Nevada. On the night of February 9, 2023, law enforcement surrounded the motel. Arreola barricaded himself inside a room, leading to a four-hour standoff that involved SWAT officers and police negotiators.

Arreola eventually surrendered peacefully and was taken into custody. He was booked into the Washoe County jail on fugitive charges and was set to be extradited to Fresno to face a charge of murder in connection with Dominique Bustamante's death. As of February 2023, the case was moving into the court system.