Two Arrested In Fremont Fatal Shooting

A Fremont homicide case that had been sitting open since early February finally moved this week. Police said two men — Kaleb Soto, 19, and Ricardo Duran, 42 — were taken into custody in connection with the fatal shooting near Central Avenue and Joseph Street. The victim was killed on February 3, 2026, and Fremont detectives say the arrests came after an unrelated Hayward trespassing call put both men in front of officers again. ### What happened back in February? The shooting happened at about 4:19 p.m. on February 3. Fremont police got multiple 911 calls, arrived within minutes, found one victim on the ground, and tried trauma care at the scene. The victim later died. Police marked it at the time as Fremont’s second homicide of 2026. ### What changed now? The big change is the arrest announcement. (fremontpolice.gov) Fremont police said their Crimes Against Persons Unit identified the people involved in the homicide investigation, and that the case broke open on April 4 when Hayward officers responded to a trespassing call. During that detention, Hayward officers recognized Soto and Duran as people Fremont investigators were already looking at. Fremont then took custody of both men, and they were later booked on homicide warrants under California Penal Code 187. (fremontpolice.gov) ### Why did it take months? That part is pretty normal in homicide cases, even when the shooting itself looks straightforward. Detectives often know the scene fast but not the full chain — who was there, who fired, who helped, and what can actually be proved in court. Fremont’s first public update after the February news release did not come until May 7, which suggests investigators were building the case quietly rather than making an early arrest announcement they could not yet support. (fremontpolice.gov) That is an inference from the timeline, but it fits the way these cases usually move. ### Who was the victim? Fremont police did not name the victim in the arrest release. But court-record reporting tied the case to the killing of Fernando Campos-Diaz. That same reporting said the shooting happened near a 7-Eleven in the Central Avenue and Joseph Street area. ### What do we know about motive? Officially, not much. Fremont’s release focuses on the arrests and does not spell out motive. (fremontpolice.gov) But court-record reporting adds a possible gang angle — saying Duran and Soto were accused in a confrontation involving members of the Decoto gang, a Norteño subset based in Union City, and a rival group. In that account, a fight started first and the gunfire came after the balance shifted. Those details come from court records cited in local reporting, not from Fremont’s own statement. (patch.com) ### Why does Hayward matter here? Because this is the kind of break that often solves violent-crime cases — not a dramatic raid, just another police contact in another city. Hayward officers were handling a trespassing call, noticed two familiar names, and that overlap let Fremont move. It is a reminder that Bay Area investigations are often regional in practice, even when the crime scene is hyperlocal. (patch.com) ### Is the case finished? Not yet. An arrest is a major step, but it is not the end of the story. Police are still asking anyone who saw anything or has information to contact Fremont PD or send an anonymous tip, which usually means detectives still want to tighten the timeline, corroborate witness accounts, or identify anyone else involved. ### Bottom line The news here is simple but important — a fatal shooting that had gone unsolved in public for three months now has two named suspects in custody. (fremontpolice.gov) But the motive picture is still only partly visible, and Fremont detectives are signaling they think more information is still out there.