Gunshots rang out in a San Pablo neighborhood Friday night at two nearby locations, prompting a rapid police response that led to the arrest of three suspects and the recovery of a firearm.
Shortly after 9 p.m., the San Pablo Police Department responded to two ShotSpotter alerts reported within seconds of each other near the 1500 block of Rumrill Boulevard. One alert detected five shots near 14th Street and Post Avenue, while a second reported seven shots on Rumrill between Bush and Pine avenues. No injuries were reported.
Using ShotSpotter alerts along with the department’s network of license plate readers and public safety cameras, officers were able to quickly identify a vehicle believed to be connected to the shootings.
Later that evening, officers from the department’s graveyard shift located the vehicle and arrested three people. During the arrest, police recovered a Glock .40-caliber handgun believed to have been used in the shootings, along with two extended high-capacity magazines.
The Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office this week filed felony firearm charges against Moises Escobar, 35, and Rico Duarte, 34, both of San Pablo. Charges are pending against a third suspect, 44-year-old Thomas Hernandez, also of San Pablo.
Police say the motive for the shootings remains under investigation, and there is no indication at this time that the incident was targeted, but rather a “random act.”
Officials credited the department’s technology and community support with helping officers quickly locate the suspects and bring the incident to a safe resolution.
