FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Fresno Police release crime trends over the past 28 days in the city of Fresno.
Overall violent crime is down in Fresno year-to-date, and in the past 28 days by 8%.
Domestic violence was reduced just over 9% over the last 28 days.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says in the last 28 days shootings have increased – 42 compared to 27 the prior month of August.
Fresno Police Lieutenant Marc Salazar says Southwest Fresno is seeing the largest increase with 17 shootings in the last 28 days, many he says by 13, 14 and 15 year-olds.
There is a plan to reduce the rising numbers over the next month.
Lt. Salazar says they just initiated a program on the 6th to pull kids who are on the streets out past curfew and place them in curfew centers where their parents will have to pick them up.
Last weekend, the curfew center was held at the Frank H. Ball Community Center, but Chief Dyer says locations will vary week to week.
Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says one growing trend is in pharmacy burglaries where suspects are stealing promethazine, found in prescription cough syrup containing codeine.
What would cost a pharmacy $7 dollars for a bottle of promethazine can be sold for upwards of $600-$800 a bottle on the streets, and mixed with Sprite to create a drug-infused concoction known as “dirty sprite,” “syzzurp” or “lean.”
Chief Dyer says they’ve arrested suspects from as far south as Compton here in Fresno, stealing the drug.
On the Most Wanted list is Zacharias Coria (seen below) who is wanted for firing shots at a woman during a domestic dispute. On April 16, 2017, on the 4000 block of North Bengston Avenue, the victim’s father who told officers that his daughter’s ex-boyfriend came over to visit his grandchild. Coria caused a disturbance, was asked to leave and escorted out of the house. While walking to his car Coria pulled out a handgun and fired several shots at the victim. She was not injured, but was visibly shaken. Police say Zacarias has an extensive criminal record, should be considered armed & dangerous and is believed to be hiding in the Fresno area.
Click below to listen to the report by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
