A man was arrested Monday after he allegedly fired several shots at a vehicle on a street in Santa Maria, according to the Santa Maria Police Department.
At approximately 2:40 p.m., officers were dispatched to a report that someone in a vehicle had fired at and hit another vehicle at the intersecton of Alvin and Railroad avenues.
“The reporting party said he and his young son were stopped at the intersection when a car pulled alongside of his, and an occupant of the other vehicle starting shooting at him,” according to police.
The suspect vehicle fled east on Alvin Avenue at high speed before crashing about two blocks away near Curryer Street, according to Lt. Russ Mengel.
Two female occupants of the car were arrested on suspicion of various misdemeanor charges, while the lone male occupant — later identified as Junior Freddy Martinez, 23 — fled into the residential neighborhood.
Officers canvassed the area, with the assistance of a Santa Barbara County helicopter, but were not able to immediately locate Martinez, police said.
“After a few hours, residents noticed a suspicious individual in their backyards and called for assistance,” police said, adding that Martinez was taken into custody without incident.
The firearm he allegedly used was recovered during the investigation, they added.
Martinez was booked into the Northern Branch Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, weapons violations, and charges related to his probation status, police said.
He remained in custody on Tuesday, with bail set at $1 million.
“We want to thank all the community members that helped us during the search for Martinez,” police said. “Several residents were able to provide us with video footage of Martinez as he fled.”
Anyone with additional information or videos of the incident is asked to contact Detective Sergeant Todd Logan at 805.928.3781 ext. 2532 or email him at dlogan@cityofsantamaria.org.
Two campuses, Bruce Elementary and El Camino Junior High schools, were locked down with students and staff still at the sites as a precaution until 4:30 p.m.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.