Investigators say the suspect left in one vehicle, changed cars in Reedley and returned to Dinuba.
DINUBA, Calif. — A man accused of fatally shooting two people in a Dinuba driveway was arrested after police tracked a vehicle path from the shooting scene to Reedley and back.
The investigation into the deaths of Irai Torres and Jose Medina has centered on a short but critical timeline. Police say Miguel Angel Saldana, 43, fled after the April 21 shooting, changed vehicles at his Reedley home and returned to Dinuba before officers arrested him near the police department. Prosecutors have since charged him with two counts of murder. He pleaded not guilty and remains jailed without bail.
The first point in the timeline was the 1200 block of Brent Avenue, where officers were sent shortly after 5 p.m. after multiple 911 calls. Dinuba Police Chief Abel Iriarte said responding officers found a man and a woman in the driveway with multiple gunshot wounds. The victims were later identified as Torres, 39, and Medina, 51. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. Police said Torres was Saldana’s ex-wife and the mother of at least one of his children. Medina was her boyfriend. Iriarte said investigators believe anger drove the shooting and said Saldana “lost his temper.”
The second point was the white Toyota truck police say Saldana used to leave Dinuba. Investigators traced the truck to Reedley, a nearby city where Saldana lived. Police said he changed vehicles there. That change did not end the search. Dinuba officers and detectives coordinated with Reedley police, set up surveillance and followed the second vehicle as it headed back toward Dinuba. The interagency work allowed officers to find Saldana within hours of the shooting. Authorities have not said how they first identified the truck or whether a witness, camera system or license plate information helped them track it.
The third point was the area outside the Dinuba Police Department. Body-camera video later showed officers arresting Saldana there without incident. Local reporting described him as calm and compliant during the arrest. Iriarte said authorities did not know whether Saldana was trying to turn himself in. That question remains unresolved in public statements. What police have said is that Saldana was no longer at the Brent Avenue home, had gone to Reedley, had switched vehicles and had come back to Dinuba before officers moved in.
Investigators also said they recovered both vehicles connected to the case and believed they had recovered the gun. Search warrants were served at Saldana’s Reedley residence as police looked for evidence. Those searches could become central to the prosecution if they tie the alleged weapon, ammunition, vehicle movements or other records to the shooting. Police have not publicly released forensic results, ballistics findings or a complete inventory of what was seized. They also have not said where the firearm was found or whether it was legally owned.
The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office filed the criminal case on April 23. District Attorney Tim Ward said Saldana was charged with two counts of murder in the shooting deaths of a Dinuba couple. The complaint includes special allegations that he personally discharged a firearm causing great bodily injury, committed multiple murders, used a weapon and acted with planning, sophistication and professionalism. It also alleges violent conduct. Saldana entered a not guilty plea at arraignment. A preliminary hearing conference was scheduled for May 4 in Superior Court. Prosecutors said he could face life in prison or the death penalty if convicted.
The charging language created two public threads that may be tested in court. Police described the shooting as a crime tied to a sudden loss of temper. Prosecutors also alleged planning and sophistication. Those statements are not necessarily the same thing, and court hearings may explore how prosecutors believe the evidence supports each allegation. Investigators have not publicly explained whether they believe Saldana arrived at the home armed with a plan, whether the confrontation escalated after he arrived or whether other evidence points to preparation before the shooting.
The human cost of the case emerged as officials released the victims’ names. Torres was identified as Saldana’s ex-wife. Medina was identified as her boyfriend. Police said they left behind children. Dinuba Unified School District said it was offering support services because one victim was related to a student. Superintendent Marti Kochevar said the district wanted to be respectful of family members and provide support as people processed the loss. Medina’s family later said he was known as Pepe and described the burden on his two sons after the killing.
The crime scene itself was ordinary before it became evidence. A driveway in a residential block became the place where officers documented bodies, shell casings, wounds and witness accounts. Detectives then had to connect that scene to the vehicles, the Reedley residence and the arrest site. Each place may carry different evidence: the driveway may show the shooting sequence, the truck may show flight, the home may show access to a weapon, and the police station area may show what Saldana did after returning to Dinuba. Prosecutors will have to assemble those pieces into a coherent case.
Several records remain outside public view. The 911 calls could show how quickly neighbors or witnesses reacted and what they saw. Surveillance video could confirm vehicle movement. Search warrant returns could show what police seized. Autopsy reports could document the number and path of gunshot wounds. Body-camera footage could show Saldana’s words and behavior during the arrest. None of those records has been fully released in public reports. Their absence leaves parts of the timeline known only through police summaries and prosecutor filings.
Saldana’s defense has not publicly offered an alternate version of events. His not guilty plea requires prosecutors to prove the murder charges and special allegations in court. Early hearings will likely focus on discovery, scheduling and whether enough evidence exists to move toward trial. Witnesses could include officers who responded to Brent Avenue, detectives who tracked the vehicles, Reedley police who assisted, forensic analysts and people who knew the victims or the suspect. The court process may also clarify whether prosecutors will pursue the death penalty or another sentence if there is a conviction.
For now, Saldana remains held without bail after the charges were filed. The case’s next milestone was the May 4 preliminary hearing conference, where the driveway shooting investigation was expected to continue its shift from police timeline to courtroom evidence.
Author note: Last updated May 18, 2026.