Suspect in fatal Exeter shooting identified

Tulare County authorities investigate the scene of a shooting outside a home east of Exeter.

EXETER – The Tulare County Sheriff’s Department has detained a suspect in connection to a fatal shooting that occurred in Exeter early Monday morning.

Around 5:45 a.m. on Monday, sheriff’s deputies responded to a reported shooting outside of a home on Avenue 296 near Road 220, east of Exeter, according to the sheriff’s department. The victim, identified as 30-year-old Frederico Acuna, had been shot several times in the upper body.

Acuna was transferred to Kaweah Delta District Hospital, but died as a result of his injuries, officials said.

Detectives from the department’s violent crimes and forensics investigations units were called out to the scene of the crime, where they began to piece together what happened.

“It was determined that the victim had come out of his residence waiting for a ride to work when he was approached either on foot or in a car, and shots were fired,” said Sgt. Chris Douglass, department spokesman.

Detectives also identified a suspect, 23-year-old Elias Alberto Zurita Ramos of Lindsay, in connection with the shooting. He was arrested Monday afternoon after police served a search warrant at his residence.

After questioning, Ramos was booked at the Tulare County Main Jail on homicide charges.

The sheriff’s department does not believe the shooting was gang related.

The victim, also known, as Frederico Acuna Lira, had served time in prison twice, once for lewd or lascivious acts on a child and another time in 2010 for a parole violation. He was released in January of this year.

The shooting is still under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office at (800) 808-0488.