A man has been arrested more than two months after a 15-year-old girl was wounded in a Santa Maria shooting.

At approximately 3:15 a.m. Feb. 1, officers were sent to the 800 block of Stanford Drive after receiving a report about a shooting, according to Lt. Daniel Rios from the Santa Maria Police Department’s Detective Bureau.

Officers confirmed that a shooting had occurred and located a 15-year-old girl suffering from a gunshot wound.

Police learned that a group of young adults and juveniles were hanging out in a nearby park before a second group of subjects arrived and a physical fight ensued, Rios said. 

“The group that arrived second entered a vehicle when the fight ended and started to leave,” he said. “As the second group was leaving the area, the driver attempted to run over the initial party of people.”

The vehicle stopped before leaving and the driver fired shots at the other group, striking the girl.

She was treated for her injuries and released, Rios said.

Detectives identified the driver and shooter as Leonel Narciso Sanchez, 23, of Santa Maria, Rios added.

On Sunday, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for the suspected shooter. 

Two days later, detectives and patrol officers conducted a traffic stop and took Sanchez into custody at approximately 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Rios said.

A subsequent search warrant was served at the man’s residence in the 1700 block of South Biscayne Street that yielded evidence believed to be connected to the shooting.

Sanchez was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of shooting from a vehicle, assault with a deadly weapon (vehicle) and assault with a deadly weapon (firearm). 

He is being held in jail in lieu of $250,000 bail. 

The case will be forwarded to the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office to determine what criminal charges should be filed.