Martin Hoyas and Jose Rocha
SALINAS — Police have arrested two of the three suspects in connection to a drive-by shooting in an East Salinas neighborhood. Arrested were 19-year-old Martin Hoyos and 21-year-old Jose Rocha.
On Monday evening at around 6 PM, two Salinas officers were on patrol in the area of Alisal Street and Sanborn when a sound suspiciously similar to gunshots rang out. Within moments, one of the officers spotted a black Kia Sportage driving recklessly as it fled the area. Officers gave chase, but the Kia did not stop.
When it reached the corner of St. Edwards and St. Charles, Hoyos bolted from the vehicle and attempted to escape on foot. He soon tossed a .45 caliber handgun onto a nearby driveway and kept running, but was subdued by taser and taken into custody.
The vehicle was later discovered abandoned in the 800 block of North Madeira Avenue. The second suspect, Rocha, was eventually arrested after an officer in an unmarked vehicle saw him jumping over a fence from the backyard of a house on St. Albans. A K9 unit was deployed and found Rocha hiding in the bushes.
The third suspect remains unidentified and at large.
Meanwhile, Monterey County’s dispatch center received reports of a shooting on South Hebbron Avenue. An estimated 15 rounds were fired and one home and two vehicles were hit, though no one was injured.
An investigation eventually revealed that Hoyos, Rocha, and the third suspect were responsible for the shooting and were in the process of leaving the scene when they were discovered by officers.
