The Two Unrelated Incidents Occurred Within A Mile From Each Other
SALINAS—Investigators with the Salinas Police Department were busy over the weekend with two attempted homicides that left one victim fighting for his life, and the others thanking God the gun misfired.
The first incident occurred around 11:20 pm Friday night. A group of people were in the front of a house on 1100 block of Cortez Street, when they were confronted by a Hispanic male in his 20’s who was holding a semi-automatic handgun in his hand. The suspect, without warning pointed the gun at the crowd and fired, but the gun misfired. Then the suspect dislodged the bad bullet and fired one shot that missed everyone. He attempted to fire the gun again, but it misfired, allowing the group to flee inside the house.
Cortez Street in Salinas
The suspect followed the group in the house all-the-while attempting to shoot at them but the gun misfired each time. The suspect was able to corner the group in a room in the back of the house. He then, according to witnesses, pointed the gun at them and pulled the trigger, but like before the gun misfired. After dislodging another spent bullet, the suspect tried to shoot them again, and again the gun misfired.
Realizing that the gun was bad, the suspect turned and ran out of the house into a white car that witnesses reported has a type of Honda. Nobody was injured in this incident and investigators were able to recover several live rounds and one spent shell casing.
“Its really unfortunate that these type of incidents happen; the victims were just out enjoying themselves.” Salinas Police Commander Michael Groves said, “It seems like this happens more in the summer because there are more people around and kids are out of school.”
The second incident occurred on Saturday about twenty-four hours after the first incident. Officers responded to the parking lot of 1138 Pacific Avenue in Salinas on a report of a shooting. Once there, officers found 32-year-old Yoni Zavala Medina lying in the carport unconscious and suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
According to witnesses, Medina was with several friends and relatives eating and drinking and enjoying the festivities when two Hispanic men walked up and started firing, striking only Medina.
Medina was initially transported to Natividad Medical Center but was later flown to a bay area trauma center where he was listed to be in critical condition.
Police are still investigating both of these incidences. It is unknown whether the motives for the shootings were gang related.
