Fresno police serving warrants daily to get guns away from criminals

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno Police Department is expanding its gun crimes unit to serve search warrants daily and get guns away from criminals.

Monday night around 11pm dozens of shots were fired into three Central Fresno homes. One passed through several walls and ended up right by a sleeping baby. The frightened mother, who doesn't want to be identified first thought it was fireworks before she saw bullets flying through her home.

"I'm thankful that we're ok, and it missed his bed by like an inch, maybe two inches."

Police Chief Jerry Dyer says the shooting was fueled by gangs. And he is zeroing in on those who often carry guns, the top 25 gang members in Fresno.

Chief Dyer said, "My goal is to those identify those individuals that are most involved in violent crime that are armed and to make sure that we are building cases that will allow for successful prosecution."

The gun crimes unit, made up of six officers will be serving warrants at homes where gang members live and have a violent criminal past. Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp says prosecutors will work these cases to take advantage of laws that keep gun toting criminals locked up longer.

Smittcamp explained, "We will continue in the DA's office to use what we have under California's three strikes law and the law commonly referred to as 10-20-Life to plead and prove all serious and violent felonies in order to maximize the time these dangerous criminals serve in prison."

Officers will also be using informants to feed them information about weapons in the hands of gang members. A $500 reward is also being offered for information that leads to the arrest of a felon in possession of a firearm.

The woman whose home was shot up says she lives in fear and is afraid to go home. Chief Dyer said families like this deserve better and they plan to give them just that.