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19-year-old suspect in Hanford murder injured in shooting near Lemoore
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19-year-old suspect in Hanford murder injured in shooting near Lemoore

HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) — It’s been a week since 23-year-old Cruz Avalos was shot and killed in his car at 10th Street and Lacey Boulevard in Hanford.

Police have identified 19-year-old Roman Perdue as the suspect in that fatal drive-by shooting.

The Kings County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Perdue was also the victim of a shooting hours later at a Santa Rosa Rancheria.

The person who pulled the trigger in this incident is still at large.

Authorities say Perdue was driving when he was shot multiple times.

He was shot in the cheek, as seen in his mugshot.

A 16-year-old boy and an underage girl were in the car at the time.

“The woman and the teenager fled the scene after the shooting occurred and we were able to capture and take them into custody, the woman was later released to her family and the teenager was taken into custody and turned over to the Hanford Police Department.” Chris Martin of the Kings County Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives initially believed the 16-year-old killed Avalos, but days later announced he was no longer a suspect.

However, he still faces weapons charges for a gun found during his arrest.

While the sheriff’s office acknowledges that multiple families have been affected by the violence, it is working to determine whether the two shooting incidents are related.

“You can’t replace people, so right now there are a lot of people taking lives left and right, with no real consequences,” Martin said.

Following the latest developments, prosecutors requested an extension of the cases against Perdue.

Kings County District Attorney Sarah Hacker says drive-by shootings are always difficult to investigate.

“It’s very complex, it’s very difficult, and we want to make sure we do it right,” Hacker said.

Action News is still waiting to hear from the district attorney’s office to find out when charges might be filed.

The sheriff’s office is still asking anyone with information to come forward.

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