16-year-old Fresno boy shoots, kills dad strangling his mom

FRESNO, Calif. -- Fresno County sheriff's detectives say a Fresno man was shot and killed when his 16-year-old son tried to stop him from abusing his mother.

The sheriff's office identified the man as 54-year-old Javier Vera.

It was at around 4:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon when sheriff's deputies were called to west Fresno County to find the man shot to death by his son.

Detectives said they learned the incident stemmed from an argument that turned violent.

"It appears that the husband was at that time strangling his wife, so you can imagine there can't be anything more controlling than someone with their hands around your neck cutting off your air supply," said Marjaree Mason Center Executive Director Nicole Linder.

Detectives spent the night processing the home for evidence and interviewing the son. They determined the shooting was to protect his mother.

Detectives did not place him under arrest and don't plan to do so. The teen is now with his mother.

Law enforcement and domestic violence advocates said they're hoping the community can learn from the tragedy.

"There are about 7,000 calls to law enforcement in Fresno County every year," Linder said.

She added that domestic violence is about power and control over someone but it does not just impact the couple involved.

"I hear a lot of people that think and want to pretend that kids don't understand what's going on in a relationship. But the fact is they see, they hear, they feel, and there's a lot of trauma that the kids are enduring when they're in an abusive home," Linder said.

Domestic violence advocates and law enforcement are hoping people use the case as a reminder to report any signs of abuse or cries for help.

"It affects everyone in our community, and we need to stand up and take it seriously," Linder said.