On October 27, 2024, at approximately 1:00 a.m., Tulare County Sheriff's deputies responded to reports of a man lying on the ground and bleeding in the 29100 block of Road 166 in Farmersville, California. Upon arrival, they discovered 25-year-old Angel Puga of Farmersville, who had suffered both blunt force trauma and a gunshot wound. Tragically, Puga was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigations revealed that Puga had attended a large Halloween party earlier that evening.
As he attempted to leave the gathering, he was confronted by a group identified as Northern gang members. This group assaulted Puga, beating him severely and ultimately shooting him before fleeing the scene. An autopsy later confirmed that Puga's death resulted from the blunt force trauma he sustained during the attack.
Following an extensive investigation involving multiple search warrants and interviews, detectives identified six individuals responsible for Puga's death: 20-year-old Landon Woods of Exeter, 18-year-old Eric Bullard of Tulare, 22-year-old Matthew Makert of Visalia, a 17-year-old male, and two 16-year-old males. In the early hours of November 7, 2024, coordinated efforts by the Tulare County Sheriff's Office SWAT team, along with assistance from the Visalia Police Department, Tulare Police Department, Porterville Police Department, Kings County Sheriff's Office, Kings County Regional SWAT Team, and Fresno County Sheriff's Office, led to the successful apprehension of all six suspects. The adult suspects were booked into the Tulare County South County Detention Facility, while the juvenile suspects were placed in the Juvenile Detention Facility, all facing homicide charges.
