SAN BERNARDINO – Police arrested an 18-year-old and two 17-year-old juveniles who went on a BB gun shooting rampage with nearly 40 victims on Tuesday.
Genaro Garcia, 18, of Fontana, along with two 17-year-old accomplices, one from Fontana and the other from San Bernardino, are accused of shooting the car windows and business windows in multiple communities, according to Sgt. Emil Kokesh. They were arrested one day later.
Police are calling it a case of felony vandalism after the shooting spree, which took place between 4:30-11:30 p.m., when dispatchers received several calls that the suspects were taking shots at various targets. Some 36 victims have been identified so far, said police.
The property damage ranges from vehicle windows to business windows, said Kokesh, with the “total amount of damage believed to exceed $10,000.” The original report taken by San Bernardino police described several male subjects in a silver Chevy four-door vehicle with paper plates, seen in the area of Foothill Blvd. and Dallas Avenue. That report described the suspects having shot the windows of another motorist with a BB gun.
On Wednesday, a patrolman spotted a car that matched the description of the suspect’s car in the area of Foothill Blvd. and Meridian Avenue. Kokesh said the officer stopped the car just before 5 p.m., discovering evidence linking the suspects to the vandalism. That evidence included several hundred BBs and several spent CO2 cartridges.
The suspects were interviewed by detectives. Additional information was obtained, said Kokesh, “during the interviews indicating that these individuals were responsible for the crimes” which had been reported one day earlier. The three were arrested on charges of felony vandalism, said Kokesh.
Genaro was taken to San Bernardino County jail and the juveniles were lodged at San Bernardino County Juvenile Hall, said Kokesh, who added that Rialto police reported they had about a dozen similar incidents in their city. “During the same time frame,” said Kokesh, “and it is believed that there may be additional victims who have not yet been identified.”
