Jovan Meeks
SAN BERNARDINO – On Monday morning, police announced the arrest of a suspect in the April shooting of two people.
Jovan Meeks, 21, of San Bernardino, was arrested last week in Las Vegas on charges that he shot and killed Kirk Savala, 52, and injured Donna Savala, 50, on April 16, a shooting that appeared to random.
“At the early stage of the investigation,” said Det. Justin Giles, the lead investigator from the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department, “there (was) no evidence to suggest the Savalas were the intended targets.
“It appears they were in close proximity to a dispute between others and were inadvertently struck by fired bullets.”
Those involved in the dispute fled the area.
The shooting took place at 10:54 a.m. on a Saturday at an apartment complex in the 25900 block of Baseline Avenue. When deputies arrived, they found Kirk and Donna Savala each suffering from gunshot wounds.
Kirk Savala was pronounced dead shortly before noon that day while Donna Savala sustained serious injuries, but survived. Both were residents of Highland.
Homicide investigators pursued numerous leads and conducted several interviews. On April 22, they identified Meeks as the shooter, seeking an arrest warrant with a bail set at $2 million.
Giles said Meeks was traced to Las Vegas, Nevada, arrested on Thursday, June 23.
Meeks had been taken into custody near East Carey Avenue and North Nellis Boulevard by Las Vegas Metro’s SWAT unit, along with a U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force.
He was being held in Clark County awaiting extradition to San Bernardino County to face charges.
