San Joaquin councilmember died from COVID-19, city says

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The City of San Joaquin announced the unexpected passing of Councilmember Jose Ornelas over the weekend.

The city manager confirmed that Ornelas had COVID-19.

Ornelas served on the San Joaquin City Council since 2014 and recently elected to the Fresno County Democratic Central Committee as a representative of District 1.

According to a statement from the city, he also assisted in a variety of capacities with organizations from San Joaquin and was known for being vocal about improving his community and the region.