FRESNO, California – Authorities in Fresno have released the arrests of two individuals allegedly responsible for the death of Mary Lou Flores, which occurred on July 31 when she was escaping from a vehicle.
According to Fresno police, Joohnny Tapia and Nicole Williams were identified as the occupants of the car that was chasing Flores and four other people who were with the victim.
Shortly before 7:00 pm on July 31, officers arrived in the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter, located at 4080 Shaw Avenue, to investigate a report of an injured man inside a vehicle.
Previously, both Flores and the young man who was wounded by a bullet were involved in a disturbance at a nearby site. They both left in their separate vehicles, however another car, a Toyota Rav4, began to chase them.
During the chase, the driver of the Rav4 fired multiple shots, one of which struck the 24-year-old man, Fresno police spokesman Paul Cervantes said.
Both suspects then continued behind Mary Lou Flores, who would ultimately crash into a railing to her death.
Following the crash that occurred in the 4100 block of Brawley Avenue, both occupants escaped on foot. While the 66-year-old driver was declared deceased at the scene.
A week after the riot, shooting and fatal accident, authorities arrested Tapia and Williams as the alleged perpetrators. He faces charges of murder, multiple counts of attempted murder, and assault with a deadly weapon.
Although one arrest has been made, detectives ask anyone with information regarding this event to contact the Fresno Police Department.
The Stop Crime Program present in California and other states seeks to encourage the community to take part in the fight against crime anonymously and in exchange for financial compensation.
