Los Banos police arrest suspect after man injured in shooting with pellet-style rifle

A suspect has been arrested in connection with a shooting that injured a man in Los Banos, according to authorities.

At about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, 51-year-old Jason Timoteo was stopped and arrested by Los Banos Police Department detectives in the 2200 block of East Pacheco Boulevard after he was identified as a suspect in a shooting that injured a man the previous day, according to the Los Banos Police Department.

Just after 11 a.m., Tuesday, officers responded to a report of a man suffering form a possible gunshot wound in the 1900 block of Pacheco, according to a Los Banos Police Department news release.

Arriving officers located a 39-year-old man bleeding and suffering from an eye injury. According to police, the man said he was shot by another man who fled from the area prior to the officers’ arrival. The victim was transported to a Modesto area hospital for treatment of his injuries and was said to be in stable condition.

At the scene, detectives located what police referred to as a “high-powered pellet-style rifle” and learned medical personnel removed a “non-bullet projectile” from the victim’s head. During the investigation, authorities identified Timoteo as a suspect in the shooting and obtained an arrest warrant, according to police.

Timoteo was booked into Merced County Jail on suspicion of felony assault with a deadly weapon: not a firearm, according to jail records.

Police ask anyone with information regarding the incident to contact Detective Stephan O’Day at 209-827-7070, ext. 2554. Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling 209-827-2545.

This story was originally published March 7, 2024 at 12:14 PM.