Saturday, July 13, 2013

Pair Found Dead In Motel Parking Lot


"VISALIA, CA — Police say a Fresno man apparently shot and killed his former girlfriend Friday night in the parking lot of the Visalia La Quinta Inn, then drove around to the other side of the building and shot himself.

"Visalia Police Chief Colleen Mestas said the incident capped off a difficult day for police, who earlier in the day were investigating an unrelated double homicide in a northwest Visalia home.

"`It’s the first time anyone can remember three homicides in one day in our city,` Mestas told reporters this morning during a press conference.

"While police haven’t disclosed the names of the people killed earlier Friday, she identified the two killed Friday night near the hotel as Carlos Navarro, 25, of Fresno, and Celina Simone Lopez, 19.

"Police said it wasn't immediately clear if Lopez is from Fresno or Farmersville.

"Mestas said that before the shooting, her department received a call about 9:40 p.m. from a man who identified himself as Navarro’s brother. He said that Navarro had talked about `shooting a female he was acquainted with.`

"Police were trying to locate the woman identified by the caller when a 911 came in at 10:29 p.m. reporting shots fired in the area of the La Quinta Inn, 5438 W. Cypress Ave. Shortly afterward, dispatchers received a report that somebody there had been shot.

"Arriving officers found Lopez dead, apparently from gunfire, in her car parked on the south side of the hotel.

"Mestas said witnesses told police the woman had been shot by a man last seen driving around the hotel. Police searched the north end of the parking lot and found Navarro in his car, dead from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound."


From the Visalia Times-Delta...

1 comment:

  1. By no means have the years that have passed since the shooting and death of my niece Salina Simone Lopez diminish the pain our family has. From that time until now my own children have been married and have started families of Their Own. This is what Selena has been robbed of the opportunity to be wife to be mother. To be there for her own parents or siblings. Such a young life a beautiful young woman with so much potential. I was blessed the short amount of time to become closer to my niece. Every day on my way to and from work I had to pass by the murder site and it wasn't easy until one day I sat in that parking lot and I cried I cried like a baby I never got to say goodbye. And it still hurts. I look in search for information about this senseless murder suicide probably never get an answer to this life. I just want to say if any female or male is in a relationship or even ended a relationship or the other still persist on being with you please notify the authorities and get help no one has the right to take the life of another she's not my daughter but she's my brother's daughter and I wonder how she would have look today what her occupation would be did she have children answers never to be heard.

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