SAN DIEGO — Four individuals were recently arrested in connection to the alleged attempted murder of a man they had reportedly mistaken for a rival gang member.
According to a press release by San Diego PD, the shooting occurred in March of 2022 on the 4700 block of Hilltop Drive. A man had been getting to his car when he suddenly found himself boxed in by two other cars. The occupants of the other cars had reportedly mistaken him for a rival gang member, shouted “gang challenges,” and fired at him multiple times.
The victim was not struck by gunfire, police said.
After an almost year-long investigation, detectives identified the suspects as Brian Acosta (29), Adrian Rodriguez (32), Eleazar Avitia (29), and Thomas Contreras (29). The first three were located and arrested on Wednesday, February 15, on suspicion of attempted murder. Contreras was booked on weapons-related charges.
Investigators also secured and served four search warrants related to the investigation, which led to the seizure of an AR-15 type ghost gun, ammo, high-capacity magazines, and body armor, police said.
Dan Anderson is a California based writer/reporter covering both national and local crime and arrest news, with a primary focus on the Northern California area.