August 7, 2025 – Fresno County Sheriff's Office officials report that at around 5:00 p.m. on July 16, 2025, Fowler Police and Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a gunshot victim. Law enforcement arrived at a neighborhood near Temperance and Adams Avenues in Fowler and contacted a 19-year-old man named Diego Diaz who was suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. He was transported to the hospital for treatment.

Deputies received information from Diaz that the shooting occurred during a robbery attempt at Highland and American Avenues. Property crimes detectives responded to the area and spoke with 19-year-old Joseph Garcia who was with Diaz at the time of the shooting. Their stories of what happened seemed suspicious, so detectives spent more time trying to get to the truth of the matter.

It was later determined these two friends put together a plan for one to shoot the other. The exact reason for this foolish decision continues to remain unclear. Regardless, the case has now been turned over to the District Attorney’s Office for review, where both men face potential charges of filing a false police report and negligently discharging a firearm.

Source & photo: Fresno County Sheriff's Office