Father and son linked to Fresno homicide from January face judge

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Forty-three-year old Jesus Serena Sr. and his son, 23-year-old Jesse Serena Jr., faced a judge Wednesday for the first time since their arrest on suspicion of killing 43-year-old Florentino "Plucky" Higuera in a Southeast Fresno shooting.

We were not allowed to show their faces in court but, there are their booking photos after detectives say they committed the second homicide in the city this year.

Police are not releasing a motive, but the victim's wife believes she knows what happened.

"So far, what I know was that my husband was there to help his friend, and they came to the house and as my husband walks, in they started firing through the door," Angela Higuera, Florentino's late wife.

Higuera was hit five times in the upper body, but investigators do not believe he was the intended target when officers responded to a Shotspotter call near McKenzie Avenue and Ninth Street last month.

"All he knew was that his friend was in danger, and he was just going over there to protect him," Angela said.

According to the victim's wife, Plucky only went to his friend's house that Saturday afternoon to try and calm the situation.

"He never intended for it to be any gunplay at all," Angela said. "He went unarmed."

Higuera's wife admits Plucky was a former gang member but walked away from that life almost a decade ago. The two were married for nine years.

Plucky leaves behind four children and two grandchildren, including a one-year-old daughter.

"Even if it wasn't his kids, he was a great dad," Angela said. "Uncle Plucky, or Plucky, was there for everybody's kids."

Serena Sr. and Jr. will be back in court for their arraignment on March 5.