SALINAS — Salinas PD investigators have made in arrest in connection to the January 3rd robbery of Quality Liquors Store on Williams Road. During the incident, the suspect and clerked exchanged gunfire. Although neither one was struck, a man sitting in his home nearby was struck in the shoulder by one of the stray bullets.
On the evening of January 3rd, the suspect walked into the liquor store with a handgun and demanded money. The clerk, fearing for his life, handed over an undisclosed amount of money. As the suspect fled, the clerk followed.
The suspect looked back, saw the clerk, and fired several shots. The clerk fired several shots back with his own personal firearm.
The suspect was then seen running northbound on Kenneth Avenue.
While neither the suspect or clerk suffered any wounds, a stray bullet fired by the suspect went through the exterior wall of a mobile home on the 200 block of Williams Road and struck a 31-year-old man in the shoulder. He was treated at a local hospital and has recovered from his wounds.
On January 23rd, on leads provided by physical and biological evidence, Salinas Police went to the Monterey County Jail to meet with a man held on previous probation violation charges. That man, 25-year-old Mark Phillip Morris of Salinas, had previous charges of robbery, attempted murder, and firearm-related charges including felon in possession of a firearm was added to his booking sheet.
Officers also found the getaway vehicle parked nearby. It was towed and searched after detectives secured search warrants.
