Sacramento sheriff’s detectives find suspect in Arden Arcade homeless camp shooting
Sacramento County sheriff’s detectives, with help from a police SWAT team, arrested a man suspected of firing a shotgun at a homeless encampment Thursday and seriously wounding a man struck by the gunfire in Arden Arcade.
Chad Jones, 36, of Sacramento County was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, the Sheriff’s Office announced in a news release.
Sheriff’s officials said detectives from the Major Crimes Bureau tracked down Jones and found him in Sacramento. About 5 a.m. Friday, a Sacramento Police Department SWAT team helped the detectives take Jones into custody.
The shooting occurred about 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the homeless encampment near Alta Arden Expressway and Glendale Lane, said Lt. Rodney Grassmann, a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office spokesman.
Investigators believe both men were homeless, and Jones fired the shotgun at the victim. Grassmann said the victim was struck by gunfire in the torso and suffered life-threatening injuries in the shooting.
The shooting suspect left the scene before authorities arrived and had not been found.
As deputies were looked for the shooter Thursday afternoon, sheriff’s officials released a detailed description of the suspect: a 36-year-old man with a balding head, standing around 5-foot-11 and weighing about 185 pounds with a large tattoo of a koi fish on the side of his neck.
On Friday, sheriff’s officials said Jones is well known to local law enforcement agencies and on probation, stemming from felony conviction dating back to 2019. Jones is prohibited from possessing firearms, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Jones was booked at the Sacramento County Jail, where he was being held without bail Friday afternoon.
One deputy investigating the shooting was injured at the scene. Grassmann said two vehicles driving by the crime collided with each other; one of the vehicles veered and ran over the foot of the deputy.
Grassmann said the deputy was not seriously injured, and the deputy did not require hospitalization.
Detectives asked anyone with information about this shooting to call the Sheriff’s Office at 916-874-5115 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-443-4357. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling 916-874-8477 or or by filling out the Sheriff’s Office online tip form.
This story was originally published July 28, 2022 at 5:59 PM.
