Suspect found shot after fleeing scene of attempted carjacking, Los Banos police say

A Los Banos carjacking suspect was found shot Wednesday morning in what authorities believe was an unrelated incident as he fled the scene of his crime, police said.

Just before 12:30 a.m., officers responded to a report of a fight between two men at a gas station in the 100 block of West Pacheco Boulevard, according to a Los Banos Police Department news release.

Police said that when officers arrived on scene they observed two men standing near a Jeep before one of the men ran away from the scene toward the intersection of West Pacheco Boulevard and California Avenue. According to police, the man ran down California Avenue and out of view of the officers.

Moments after the man was out of view, officers heard multiple gunshots coming from the 1200 block of California Avenue and then saw a light-colored sedan make a U-turn at the intersection of California Avenue and West Pacheco Boulevard. The officers found shell casings in the roadway at the shooting scene.

Police Cmdr. Jason Hedden said that as officers locked down the scene of the shooting, they found a 22-year-old man with gunshot wounds hiding outside a nearby home. The man allegedly assaulted the owner of the Jeep in an attempted carjacking. Police said the Jeep owner fought back against the man and the altercation ended prior to officers arriving on scene.

According to police, the shooting is believed to be an unrelated incident that occurred as the man fled the scene of the attempted carjacking. The shooting victim was transported by air ambulance to an out-of-area hospital and was in critical condition, according to the news release.

Hedden said police are doing everything they can to patrol areas of increased crime as well as utilizing resources from partnering agencies.

“We know this has been a challenging year for our community with the number of shootings and homicides,” Hedden said. “The safety of our community is our department’s number one priority.”

Police said detectives are in the early stages of an investigation and details are limited at this time. Anyone who may have information about the shooting or the altercation at the gas station is asked to contact the Los Banos Police Department at 209-827-7070.

Anonymous crime tips can be left by calling 209-827-2545 or on the Los Banos Police Department’s website on the bottom of the contact page by clicking on the “report graffiti and other crime” link. Anonymous tips can also be left by contacting the Merced Area Crime Stoppers at 855-725-2420 or on the Merced Area Crime Stoppers website.

This story was originally published August 26, 2020 at 1:09 PM.