Photo: Justin Cervantes
Originally published as a City of Chico press release –
“On 03/05/2021 at approximately 0236 hours Chico Police Dispatch Center received several 911 calls about a subject shooting at another person in the area of Walnut St. and W. 3rd St. The victim, being one of the 911 callers, was running eastbound from Walnut St. and W. 3rd St. away from the original shooting location when he called 911.
All on duty officers responded to the area looking for the victim and suspect. The victim was located near W. 3rd St. and the R/R tracks. The victim told officers the suspect confronted him with a handgun in the parking lot of Dragon Tobacco at 244 Walnut St. The victim, fearful for his life, started to walk backwards pleading with the suspect not to harm him. The victim then turned and ran from the location. The suspect fired multiple rounds from a semi-automatic handgun toward the victim before walking away.
Officers obtained a description of the suspect while in route to the call. The suspect was located at the intersection of W. 2nd St. and Oak St. approximately two blocks northwest of Dragon Tobacco. He was detained and positively identified as the robbery/shooting suspect by the victim and a witness.
The victim was not harmed during the shooting. The handgun used was not immediately located. However, an article search by Chico Police K9 Aron located the firearm, a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun, less than thirty feet from where the suspect was first observed by officers. The firearm was hidden under shrubs and leaves. The suspect was identified as 29-year-old Justin Cervantes. Cervantes is a convicted felon who has served time in state prison for a previous assault with a deadly weapon conviction.
Cervantes was booked into the Butte County Jail on the following charges:
211 PC-Robbery
245(a)(2) PC- Assault with a deadly weapon, firearm
25850 PC-Felon in possession of a concealed firearm
29800(a)(1)- Felon in possession of a firearm
29900(a) PC- Felon convicted of a violent crime in possession of a firearm.
12022.53 (b)- Use of a firearm in commission of a robbery
12022.53(c)- Discharging a firearm in commission of a robbery.
69 PC- Resisting a police officer by threat or force”
