Teenage shooting suspect arrested after high-speed pursuit in Los Banos, police say
A suspected gang member has been arrested after a Los Banos firefighter witnessed an alleged shooting and contacted authorities, according to the Los Banos Police Department.
Police arrested the 17-year-old male suspect, who is a Los Banos resident, after he allegedly led police on a high-speed pursuit following a shooting Tuesday.
According to police, a Los Banos firefighter working outside Fire Station One witnessed the shooting between suspected rival gang members in the 300 block of C Street just after 2 p.m.
The firefighter provided a police dispatcher with a description of the involved vehicles, which was then relayed to responding officers, according to a news release.
Officers in the area heard the gunshots and observed a silver Honda fleeing at a high rate of speed, according to police.
The officers stopped the Honda in the area 7th and E streets and determined the occupants, an adult and two juveniles, to be victims in the shooting. According to Cmdr. Jason Hedden, none of victims were injured.
The other vehicle, described as a silver BMW occupied by the shooting suspects, was seen driving in the area shortly after fleeing the scene.
An officer attempted to stop the vehicle and the 17-year-old male driver fled, leading police on a pursuit which reached speeds of up to 60 mph, according to Hedden.
Hedden said the pursuit ended when the BMW crashed into a white Honda near the intersection of Willmot Avenue and North First Street. Two adult occupants inside the Honda suffered minor injuries in the collision.
Police said detectives are still in the process of interviewing witnesses. It’s believed four males, including the 17-year-old driver, confronted a group of juveniles outside of Buy and Save Market.
Police said it is believed one of four suspects yelled gang slurs and produced a handgun before firing shots. The victims fled the area and got into a silver Honda as the suspect fired at the vehicle, according to police.
According to Hedden, police believe the suspects got into the BMW and fled westbound along C Street from the shooting scene. Police believe the driver of the vehicle dropped off three passengers blocks away before returning to the area. Police haven’t identified the three other suspects and it’s unclear who fired the gun.
The 17-year-old driver was arrested and booked into the Iris Garrett Juvenile Justice Center on suspicion of shooting at an occupied vehicle, conspiracy and felony evading causing injury.
The silver BMW was impounded and detectives served a search warrant and located a loaded .40 caliber handgun inside the vehicle, according to police.
Police ask that anyone with information regarding this case to contact Det. Sean Bayard at 209-827-7070 ext. 2520. Anonymous crime tips can be left by calling 209-827-2545 or on the police department’s website by clicking on the “report graffiti and other crime” link at the bottom of the “contact” page, according to police.
Tips can also be submitted by contacting Merced Area Crime Stoppers at 855-725-2420 or by visiting the Merced Area Crime Stoppers website.
This story was originally published December 5, 2019 at 12:28 PM.