Robbery Suspect Wanted by Fresno Police Shot in Southern California
12/30/2006
This is an update regarding a suspect wanted for an armed vehicle robbery that occurred in Northwest Fresno and for the attempted murder of Fullerton Police Officers this morning.
On Saturday, December 16, 2006 just before 3:00 pm, an unidentified Hispanic male waled into the Auto Maxx car dealership located in the 1700 block of North Blackstone Avenue. The male told a car dealer that he wanted to test drive a 2006 Chevy Silverado Truck. The dealer agreed and went with the Hispanic male to test drive the truck. After returning to the car lot, the Hispanic male pulled a semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and pointed it at the back of the car dealer's neck. The suspect ordered the car dealer to give him his wallet and then forced him out of the truck at gun point. The suspect then drove from the parking lot in the stolen vehicle.
On Sunday, December 3, 2006 a similar robbery occurred in the city of Madera. The suspect in this robbery matched the description of the suspect in the Auto Maxx car lot robbery.
Through follow-up investigation, Street Violence Bureau Detectives were able to positively identify 28-year-old Mendota resident, Arthur Kenneth Gallardo as the suspect responsible for the Auto Maxx vehicle robbery. Gallardo was also identified and is currently wanted for the robbery that occurred in Madera.
On December 26, 2006 just after 7:00 pm, an employee from the Pizza Factory located in Northwest Fresno, went into a private residence located in the 4100 block of West San Jose Avenue to deliver a pizza. An occupant of the residence opened the door for the pizza driver and at this time a second subject approached the driver from behind and pointed a sawed-off shotgun at him. The driver was forced outside the residence and was tied up. The suspects took the driver's wallet, then fled in his vehicle. The driver's vehicle was described as being a 2005 silver Chevy Malibu.
This morning, around 4:00 am, Fullerton Police Officers responded to a report of a DUI driver passed out in a silver-colored Chevy Malibu that was parked on the side of a Southern California freeway. After the first officer arrived, he observed two males asleep inside of the vehicle. Seated in the front passenger seat was Arthur Gallardo. The Fullerton Officer could see that Gallardo was armed with a semi-automatic handgun, and the driver with a sawed-off shotgun. After additional officer arrived, they ordered Gallardo and the driver out of the vehicle. Gallardo exited the vehicle and began firing the semi-automatic handgun at officers. The officers returned fire. Gallardo was struck by the gunfire and is expected to survive. The driver of the Malibu, who was also firing at officers, was struck and fatally wounded. No officers were injured a sa result of this incident.
During the investigation, Fullerton Police Detectives were able to positively identify the driver as being 21-year-old Mendota resident, Edmundo Francisco Gomez. Gomez is a high-control parolee that is on parole for possession of a stolen vehicle. The Malibu driven by Gomez was found to be the vehicle taken from the pizza delivery driver during the December 26th robbery. Gallardo and Gomez are now the focus of that investigation.
Street Violence Bureau Detectives are currently in the process of obtaining an arrest warrant for Gallardo, charging him with the December 3rd robbery that occurred at the Auto Maxx car dealership.
Gallardo is currently being held in Orange County for attempted murder of police officers and the murder of Gomez.