Beunju Moon and Ricardo Cervantes
KINGS COUNTY – Liberty Middle School had to be put on lock down the morning of October 4th when two suspects wanted in connection with a shooting which occurred hours before, attempted to avoid capture by fleeing on foot near the school.
Around 3AM, Lemoore Police Officers were on their way to the 1000 block of North Lemoore Ave to investigate a call regarding males fighting and a gunshot when another call reported a gunshot victim at Fastrip. The 29-year old male victim was awake and able to tell police officers his account of what occurred before an ambulance took him to the hospital.
The victim was on Janine Way when two males approached him and attempted to rob him. He refused to adhere to their demands and was shot once in the lower part of his body. He then drove himself to Fastrip.
Later that morning, around 7:45AM, officers were alerted of two suspicious males on the 900 block of Fox Street. The suspects matched the descriptions of the men involved in the shooting hours before. 35-year old Beunju Moon and 24-year old Ricardo “Ricky” Cervantes ran from police when officers attempted to question them. At that point, because they were suspects of a shooting and possibly armed, Liberty Middle School was contacted and put on lock down.
Kings County Gang Task Force, Kings County Sheriff’s Department, and Kings County Probation Department collaborated with the Lemoore Police Department to search for Moon and Cervantes. Moon was apprehended on the 1000 block of Hanover Avenue and Cervantes was arrested on Fox Street. Liberty Middle School was on lockdown for about 19 minutes.
A sweep of the area procured items the suspects discarded: “a handgun, ammunition, and personal identifying items” (Lemoore Police Department).
Beunju Moon was charged with attempted murder, robbery, possession of methamphetamines, and a felon in possession of a firearm. He will be house at the Kings County Jail with bail set at $575,000.
Ricardo Cervantes is also being charged with attempted murder and robbery. Because he was on parole, he is being held without bail.
