Gang member released from prison in July back in custody for multiple crimes, Fresno police say

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno police are sharing new details about a known gang member they say was released from custody in July but is now back in jail.

Interim Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto says 28-year-old Noah Devyn Rios is responsible for eight separate crimes that rocked Fresno neighborhoods between July and September.

Seven of them were shootings.

"On August 4th, he shot up a house that he believed his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend had visited, completely unknown residence. Thankfully, nobody was hurt in that shooting. A few days later, near Fresno State, Noah Rios shot up a car because it passed by his apartment twice," said Casto.

The shootings continued until September 4th. Nobody was killed but one person was injured.

The victim is still in the hospital.

Authorities say they used ballistic evidence, surveillance video, and witness statements to tie the crimes back to Rios.

Police arrested him at the county probation office last week and served six search warrants.

They displayed some of the evidence they say Rios never should have had.

"That SKS-style rifle - and that fires 7.62 rounds, which are very powerful. They can rip through, obviously, residences, vehicles, (and) so forth. That was the firearm recovered," Casto explained.

Rios is a convicted felon and banned from having a gun.

Last year, Rios pleaded no contest to being an accessory to a 2023 Fresno murder that left a family member dead and unfolded just feet away from a six-year-old child.

"In July, he was out after serving less than a year," Casto said.

Casto says prison officials released Rios early from his 32-month sentence because he earned credit in the prison system.

His summer crime spree began less than two weeks later.

"We seemed to have skipped the incarceration part. And I'm not sure how robust the services are for the rehabilitation, but clearly, Noah Rios wasn't rehabilitated and got out from incarceration way too early," said Casto.

Rios is due in court on Monday.

He's already pleaded not guilty to some of the charges from the summer shootings and prosecutors say they could file additional charges in the coming days.

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