Officer In the Area of a Shooting, But Suspects Still Got Away
The shooting occurred in this Granada Avenue neighborhood
Authorities Found The Suspects’ Vehicle in The Jail Parking Lot
SALINAS—The Salinas Police Department is still looking for drive-by-shooting suspects who eluded capture in an incident that led local authorities on a two hour intensive search of the rural Creekbridge area of North Salinas.
On Tuesday evening, November 17 at 8:23 pm, a Salinas Police Sergeant was on patrol near East Laurel Drive and Natividad Road when he heard several gunshots, and saw a tan Buick LeSabre speed out of a nearby neighborhood.
The suspects were last seen in the area of the soccer fields on Constitution Blvd.
The Sergeant took off after the suspects’ car, and a short vehicle pursuit ensued and ended at the parking lot of the Monterey County Jail. The pursuit did not stop there, however, as the suspects fled on foot toward the soccer fields on Constitution Blvd.
Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies, along with their K-9 unit and the California Highway Patrol responded to the area to help in the search for the suspects.
While this was all happening, Salinas Police were also responding to the victim of the shooting that had occurred on the 1200 block of Granada Avenue, which is around the corner from where the pursuit started. When they reached the scene they found that a 23-year-old Hispanic male had been sitting on his motorcycle in the driveway of a residence. He had been talking to his girlfriend while their 4-year-old son was playing next to them.
One suspect parked his car on the next street over, Trazado Street, as the other suspect got out of the car and walked over to the victim and opened fire. The victim suffered multiple gunshots wounds to his lower stomach. The suspect then ran back to the vehicle and both suspects fled the area.
After about two hours the search was called off. A search of the vehicle left behind by the suspects revealed a semi-automatic handgun that matched the caliber which was used in the shooting. The motive for the shooting is still unknown. At this point it does not appear to be gang related, as the victim has no reported gang connections.
