By ISABEL MENDOZA
Staff Writer
Thursday, September 23, 2021 marks 26 years since Julio “Jay” Esqueda was shot and killed at a party in east central Fresno. Julio was 20 at that time.
At the party in 1995, Julio’s sister, Susan Esqueda Saldana, was also there when a fight broke out involving her brother. It soon led to an unknown person driving up and firing one shot at Julio. He died shortly after being shot.
Susan said “I was just like ‘They shot my brother. They shot my brother.’ That’s all I remember saying. ‘They shot my brother, they shot my brother”. The minute I saw the bullet hole in his chest, ears started buzzing, everything became silent and I was in this cloud.”
Their mother kept in contact with the Fresno Police throughout the investigation. She died in October 2020, leaving Susan to keep her brother’s memory alive.
“She’s no longer here to call and try to bring awareness, make sure his case isn’t forgotten and make sure that it’s not just shoved in a folder and made to stay there,” said Saldana.
Now each year on Sep. 23 Julio’s family gathers around his grave to remember him and pray for justice. Julio’s killer still has not been caught.
