Paintball drive-by shootings injure elderly man, two others; 5 arrested in California
Two 18-year-old men and three juveniles were arrested Wednesday evening in Northern California, accused of shooting at least three people from a vehicle using paintballs.
One of the victims was an elderly man who transported himself to a hospital, the Galt Police Department said.
Dispatchers received multiple calls around 7 p.m. regarding paintballs being discharged from a vehicle at multiple locations in the city, Galt police said in a news release Wednesday night.
Officers located the suspect vehicle near Walnut Avenue and Oak Hills Drive and conducted a “high-risk” stop, according to the news release.
All five occupants of the vehicle were arrested: Frank Plascencia and Yair Contreras, both 18-year-old Lodi residents, as well as three juveniles who were not identified by authorities. The two men were booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail and the three minors into juvenile hall.
Plascencia and Contreras were released on bail early Thursday morning, county jail records show.
Police said all five suspects faced charges of assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy and elder abuse.
Officers located evidence tying the suspects to the shooting inside the suspect vehicle, according to the news release.
The motive for the shootings was not immediately clear, though police in Wednesday’s news release said the three victims were “intentionally” shot.
Police in social media comments said the suspect vehicle was a black Honda Civic. A photo posted by the department to Facebook showed the vehicle being transported on a flatbed tow truck.
This story was originally published June 9, 2022 at 8:00 AM.
