The Tulare County case includes firearm and multiple-murder allegations against a 43-year-old Reedley man.
VISALIA, Calif. — Tulare County prosecutors charged a 43-year-old Reedley man with two counts of murder after authorities said he shot his ex-wife and her boyfriend outside a Dinuba home.
The charges against Miguel Angel Saldana place the April 21 deaths of Irai Torres and Jose Medina into a high-stakes court case. The District Attorney’s Office says Saldana faces special allegations linked to firearm use, multiple murders and violent conduct. He pleaded not guilty at arraignment and remains jailed without bail while police continue to review evidence from Dinuba, Reedley and the arrest scene near the police department.
District Attorney Tim Ward announced the murder charges on April 23, two days after the shooting. Prosecutors allege Saldana shot a male and female to death in front of a Dinuba residence. Court records cited by prosecutors say the case includes allegations that Saldana personally fired a gun causing great bodily injury, used a weapon and committed multiple murders. The complaint also alleges planning, sophistication and professionalism. Those allegations do not decide guilt, but they raise the stakes of the prosecution. If convicted, Saldana could face life in prison or the death penalty.
The criminal case began with emergency calls from the 1200 block of Brent Avenue. Dinuba Police Chief Abel Iriarte said officers arrived to find Torres, 39, and Medina, 51, lying in the driveway with multiple gunshot wounds. Both died at the scene. Police later identified Torres as Saldana’s ex-wife and said the two shared at least one child. Medina was identified as Torres’ boyfriend. Iriarte described the shooting as a crime tied to anger and said Saldana “lost his temper.” Officials have not released the full conversation or conflict that preceded the shots.
The facts prosecutors will need to prove stretch beyond the driveway. Police said Saldana left the scene in a white Toyota truck and drove to Reedley, where he lived. Investigators said he changed vehicles and later returned to Dinuba. Officers from Dinuba coordinated with Reedley police to locate the first truck and track the second vehicle. A surveillance team followed Saldana back to Dinuba. He was arrested outside the Dinuba Police Department without a struggle. Authorities have said it was unclear whether he was trying to turn himself in when officers found him near the station.
The arrest later became part of the public record through body-camera video. The footage showed officers taking Saldana into custody as he appeared calm and compliant. That scene stood in sharp contrast to the violent account police gave of the shooting hours earlier. Iriarte said investigators recovered both vehicles connected to the case and believed they had recovered the gun. Detectives also served search warrants at Saldana’s Reedley home. Police have not said whether the weapon had been forensically matched to the fatal shots or whether more searches were planned.
The case also has a family impact that court filings only partly capture. Police said Torres and Medina left behind children. Dinuba Unified School District said it was offering support services because one of the victims was related to a student. Superintendent Marti Kochevar said the district’s role was to support students and family members as they processed a sudden death. The district response brought the case into the school community almost immediately, even as detectives were still gathering evidence and prosecutors were preparing formal charges.
Medina’s relatives later said he was known to family and friends as “Pepe.” They described a father whose sons were left to navigate life after his killing. Family members sought help with funeral costs and said loved ones were still struggling to understand what happened. The public details about Torres have been more limited, but authorities identified her as a 39-year-old woman, a mother and Saldana’s former spouse. The deaths of both victims, in one driveway and during one alleged attack, are now joined in a single prosecution.
Saldana’s not guilty plea means the case must proceed through evidence hearings before any trial. A preliminary hearing conference was scheduled for May 4 in Superior Court. At that stage, prosecutors and defense lawyers can address discovery, scheduling and whether the case is ready for a preliminary hearing. If the matter advances, prosecutors would have to present enough evidence for a judge to determine whether Saldana should stand trial. The defense can challenge evidence, question witnesses and raise legal issues before trial.
The death penalty reference in the District Attorney’s announcement does not mean prosecutors have completed all later decisions about punishment. It signals that the filed allegations make the case eligible for the most severe penalties under California law if Saldana is convicted. Any such decision would unfold through later legal steps. For now, the public court posture is narrower: two murder counts, special allegations, no bail and a defendant who has denied guilt through his plea.
The investigation remains active. Police have not publicly released the 911 calls, the full body-camera video, surveillance details, autopsy findings or a complete timeline of the confrontation. They also have not said whether other witnesses were in the driveway or inside the home when shots were fired. Those missing details are likely to matter in court because they may shape arguments about intent, planning and the sequence of events. Prosecutors have already alleged planning, while police statements have also described the shooting as a sudden loss of temper.
As of the latest public filings, Saldana remained in custody without bail. The case was set to continue after the May 4 preliminary hearing conference, with prosecutors seeking to move the double-murder charges toward a preliminary hearing.
Author note: Last updated May 18, 2026.