Jessinya Mina

Jessinya Mina, a 22-year-old White woman from Fresno, California, was a devoted mother to her two young children, a 2-year-old son and an 8-month-old daughter. Her sister, Jessica Rodriguez, described her as a loving and caring person who always gave selflessly and whose presence was a blessing to those who knew her. Mina was in the process of returning to cosmetology school to finish her career and had lifelong goals she hoped to accomplish.

On the evening of December 6, 2024, Mina was lying in bed at her home in the Butterfly Grove apartment complex in northeast Fresno. Her 2-year-old son found an unsecured 9mm handgun in the bedroom, and while handling the weapon, he was able to manipulate the trigger. The gun discharged, striking Mina once in the upper body. Her boyfriend and roommates were attempting to take her to the hospital when first responders arrived. Medics provided lifesaving measures and transported her to Community Regional Medical Center, where she succumbed to her injury.

The investigation by the Fresno Police Department revealed that the handgun belonged to Mina’s 18-year-old boyfriend, Andrew Sanchez, who lived with her. Police determined that Sanchez had left the loaded weapon in a location where the toddler could easily access it. A police lieutenant called the shooting a preventable tragedy. According to Mina’s sister, Sanchez had brought the gun into the home against Mina’s explicit wishes.

Andrew Sanchez was arrested and booked into the Fresno County Jail on charges of felony child endangerment and criminal storage of a firearm. Sanchez, who had no prior criminal record, was later released after posting a $30,000 bond. During a subsequent court hearing, a prosecutor from the Fresno County District Attorney's Office revealed that the 9mm handgun used in the shooting was not registered to Sanchez.

Sanchez was arraigned in court on December 20, 2024, where he entered a plea of not guilty to both felony charges. While the prosecution argued for a higher bail amount, the judge kept the bond as it was. The judge did, however, issue a criminal protective order and placed Sanchez under pretrial supervision. As conditions of his release, Sanchez was prohibited from possessing any firearms and ordered to have no contact with Jessinya Mina’s family. He is also subject to search and seizure. As of December 2024, the case was proceeding through the court system, with Sanchez awaiting a pre-preliminary hearing scheduled for February.