The shooting occurred at around 3:10 a.m. on Nov. 26 when the 18-year-old San Pablo man reportedly confronted several suspects trying to break into his parked vehicle in front of his home in the 1700 block of Bush Avenue, police said.
The suspects fled to a Jeep that was standing by, and one of the passengers began shooting at the victim as they drove off. The 18-year-old suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
With help from the city’s public safety cameras and weeks of surveillance, detectives identified five suspects residing in Union City and Newark. San Pablo police learned the suspects could be linked to a stolen vehicle theft ring and began coordinating with Newark police, which had launched a parallel probe.
On Thursday, search warrants were served at properties in Newark and Union City and at storage units in Oakland and San Leandro. During the searches, police uncovered 17 stolen vehicles worth over $1 million, 12 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition, ballistic body armor vests, high capacity magazines, gun silencers and indicia of vehicle theft.
Police also arrested four suspects on Thursday in connection with the San Pablo shooting, and they’re searching for a fifth outstanding suspect.
The arrested suspects include Jose Alberto Torres Flores, 26, of Union City; Alexander Martinez, 21, of Newark; Eduardo Garcia Perez, 20, of Newark; and Alexander Echeverria, 20, of Newark.
Martinez, Perez, Echeverria, and Torres-Flores were booked into Contra Costa County Jail on charges of conspiracy, attempted homicide, vehicle theft, and weapons violations.
A fifth suspect, Yoaxsi Alberto Garcia, 19, of Hayward, remains outstanding and is wanted in connection with his involvement.
“Garcia should be considered armed and dangerous,” police said.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is encouraged to contact their local law enforcement or the San Pablo Police Investigations Unit at 510-215-3150.
