Jonathan Franco

Jonathan Franco, a 43-year-old Hispanic man from Fresno, was found dead in the early morning hours of Tuesday, April 30, 2024. A person on their way to work discovered his body around 4:40 a.m. in an alleyway in the community of Malaga. Franco was lying face down on the ground along South Frank Avenue, between East Muscat and East Grand Avenues. The Fresno County Sheriff's Office confirmed he had died from a gunshot wound to his upper body.

When homicide detectives arrived to investigate, they learned from people living in the area that gunshots had been heard the previous night. Residents reported hearing the shots between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on Monday, April 29, but no one had called law enforcement at the time. The discovery of Franco’s body marked the sixth homicide investigation for the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office in 2024.

The initial investigation explored a possible gang-related motive for the killing. Detectives and crime scene unit members gathered evidence and spoke with potential witnesses, but it was unclear how the person responsible had arrived at or fled the scene. The violence came as a shock to the neighborhood. One woman who lived nearby described the community as being filled with hard-working people who look out for one another. "Everybody watches everybody," she said. "Taking care of each other here and that's the main purpose here because we're so close."

For several months, the case remained without a public resolution as investigators continued their work. Then, in January 2025, authorities announced a significant development in the case. Two men were arrested and subsequently charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of Jonathan Franco. As of January 2025, the case against the two men is proceeding through the legal system.