Fresno County investigators seek tips in 2023 Sanger homicide case

Investigators are снова asking for help in the killing of 43-year-old Marcos Antonio Escuita, hoping new leads will move forward a case that has stayed open since the November 2023 shooting in Sanger. Sanger police were called to the 800 block of Sequoia Avenue near Faller Avenue around 10:15 a.m. on Nov. 21, 2023, where they found Escuita on the sidewalk suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to the hospital and later died.

Detectives say the most important lead from the day of the shooting is a silver Dodge Journey, listed with license plate 9AEX579, that may have been involved in a collision within minutes of the gunfire. The SUV was later found abandoned in a canal in a rural area outside the city, near Rainbow Road and California Avenue, and investigators tied it to the homicide. More recent information has added another potential clue: surveillance video showing a white Ford F-150 with tinted windows and a silver toolbox in the bed.

The shooting marked a violent break for Sanger, which had not seen a homicide since February 2022. Even so, no arrests have been announced, and the case has remained active while detectives continue to look for witnesses, travel patterns, and anyone who saw the vehicles or the people inside them that morning. Law enforcement has said the case has developed new leads, a sign that even a long-dormant investigation can still move if the right detail comes in.

For people in Sanger and nearby communities, the details that matter most are specific: a silver Dodge Journey with plate 9AEX579, a white Ford F-150 with tinted windows and a silver toolbox, and anything unusual seen around Sequoia Avenue, Rainbow Road, or California Avenue on the morning of the shooting. Investigators want tips from anyone who saw the vehicles, knows who was driving them, or can help identify the people connected to them.

Anyone with information can contact Detective Edwards at 559-955-1751 or the Sanger Police Department tip line at 559-399-8020. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is also asking for the public’s help as the investigation into Escuita’s death continues.