Nicole Saenz, a 36-year-old resident of Fresno, California, tragically lost her life on December 5, 2020. The incident occurred in west-central Fresno, near Hughes and Olive Avenues. On that fateful evening, a male suspect approached the house where Saenz was present, knocked on the door, and was allowed inside. Shortly after entering, the suspect shot Saenz in the head.
Despite paramedics' efforts to save her, she succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.
The suspect, identified as 28-year-old Jose Verduzco, was later arrested in connection with Saenz's murder. Verduzco, a known gang member, was also implicated in another murder that occurred just days before Saenz's death. On December 2, 2020, Verduzco allegedly shot and killed 37-year-old Saul Velazco, a store clerk at a Valero gas station in east-central Fresno. Following Saenz's murder, Verduzco forced someone in the house to drive him to an area near Highway 99 and Belmont, where he fled the scene.
The investigation into Saenz's death revealed that Verduzco did not have a close relationship with anyone at the home, though he may have been an acquaintance. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, but detectives continue to piece together the events leading up to the tragic incident. Verduzco has been charged with murder for both cases, and authorities are still searching for the vehicle he used to flee the scene of the first murder. The black 2005 Chevrolet Silverado with the license plate 99021V2 remains a key piece of evidence in the ongoing investigation.
