Police informant in murder-for-hire case shot in Clovis

by Elizabeth Warmerdam , November 30, 2011

CLOVIS – The man who helped Fresno police get evidence in a murder-for-hire case was shot yesterday morning in Clovis.

Joe Luis Yzaguirre Jr. was shot and wounded at a vacant house on Herndon Avenue between Armstrong and Temperance avenues. According to authorities, Yzaguirre called 911 just after 11 a.m. to report that he had been shot.

Police and paramedics arrived within minutes on the scene and transported the victim to Community Regional Medical Center. His condition is unknown.

Officers set up a perimeter around the house, but the shooter was not located. Police later obtained a warrant to search the home where Yzaguirre was found because there was “concern that the suspect could still be held up inside,” said Janet Stoll-Lee, spokesperson for the Clovis Police Department.

Daljit Singh is awaiting trial. The victim is a key witness against him.

“They determined that shortly after 2 o’clock everything was clear and there was no suspect on the premises,” Stoll-Lee said.

Parts of Herndon Avenue were shut down for several hours as police searched for the suspect. Nearby Cedarwood Elementary School was put on alert because of the search for the gunman, but the school was not placed on lockdown.

Police are still searching for the gunman.

Yzaguirre is a key witness in the prosecution’s case against businessman Daljit Singh, who has been accused of plotting to kill his former business partner, Rama Dawar. Yzaguirre, who used to work for Singh, worked as a police informant and secretly recorded conversations of Singh talking about hiring a hitman to kill Dawar.

Singh was arrested on April 18 and has been in jail since that time. His trial was expected to start today in Fresno Superior Court, but has been delayed due to Tuesday’s shooting.

It is unknown whether the attack on Yzaguirre had anything to do with the pending trial.

Fresno Bee: Fresno murder-for-hire trial delayed after witness shot

Clovis Independent: Witness in murder-for-hire case shot in Clovis

abc30: Clovis shooting victim involved in high-profile case

Police informant in murder-for-hire case shot in Clovis was last modified: January 10th, 2019 by admin

Categories: Fresno, Madera

About Author

Elizabeth Warmerdam

Beth Warmerdam is a freelance journalist based out of Reedley. She graduated from Fresno State in 2004 with a BA in print journalism and has worked for several newspapers and magazines. In addition to writing, Beth enjoys being a stay-at-home mom, trying to keep up with her 2-year-old son, Zachary.