Teens shooting from a moving vehicle reportedly struck a motorist in the neck narrowly missing his four children as he turned southbound on Main Street from Mission Ridge Drive at about 7:40 Tuesday night.
A 1985 BMW was northbound on Main Street, making a left turn onto Mission Ridge when the shot was fired through the driver’s window hitting Charles Eitemiller, 32, in the left side of his neck. The back windows of his car were open making his children targets as well. They were 12, 10, 7, and 6. The six-year-old was in a car seat directly behind the driver, police said.
The motorist who suffered a minor neck injury followed the teens into the Wal Mart parking lot where he attempted to corner them as he called police. Officers swarmed to the area – some leaving their dinner break – and honed in on the driver’s direction of travel with their dispatcher relaying the fleeing suspects’ position.
The teens fled onto the Highway 120 Bypass going westbound. Officers said they exited the freeway at Union Road and drove south. Officer Greg Beal dropped in behind them as they continued on to Woodward Avenue where they made a right turn and stopped for the pursuing officers.
Not knowing what types of guns had been used or the risk they faced, the officers made a felony car stop ordering the teens out of their car one at a time at gunpoint. The youths were ordered to walk back toward the officers with their hands over their heads until they could be handcuffed and led to a patrol car.
One officer – with the victim in his patrol car – flooded the scene with his lights for a roadside lineup giving the motorist the opportunity to confirm the officers had the right suspects.
The 18-year-old driver, Cameron Cadiz, was charged with shooting at a moving vehicle and causing injury, a felony, conspiracy and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, police said. Officers said that the two juveniles faced similar charges.
They were all transported to the Manteca city jail where Cadiz was released with a citation and the juveniles were released to their parents after receiving like citations.
The random pellet gun shooting came within a week of another incident that occurred just south of Shasta School where two youths, 11 and 13, allegedly lay in wait for an eighth grader who was walking home from school when they shot him in the face, shoulder and chest.
In that case parents who witnessed the event gave chase and alerted officers to where the boys had fled. They were detained, cited and released to their parents.
In that incident, the two alleged shooters and the victim were all reportedly gang members with the shooters attending Veritas School and Sierra High.
A 1985 BMW was northbound on Main Street, making a left turn onto Mission Ridge when the shot was fired through the driver’s window hitting Charles Eitemiller, 32, in the left side of his neck. The back windows of his car were open making his children targets as well. They were 12, 10, 7, and 6. The six-year-old was in a car seat directly behind the driver, police said.
The motorist who suffered a minor neck injury followed the teens into the Wal Mart parking lot where he attempted to corner them as he called police. Officers swarmed to the area – some leaving their dinner break – and honed in on the driver’s direction of travel with their dispatcher relaying the fleeing suspects’ position.
The teens fled onto the Highway 120 Bypass going westbound. Officers said they exited the freeway at Union Road and drove south. Officer Greg Beal dropped in behind them as they continued on to Woodward Avenue where they made a right turn and stopped for the pursuing officers.
Not knowing what types of guns had been used or the risk they faced, the officers made a felony car stop ordering the teens out of their car one at a time at gunpoint. The youths were ordered to walk back toward the officers with their hands over their heads until they could be handcuffed and led to a patrol car.
One officer – with the victim in his patrol car – flooded the scene with his lights for a roadside lineup giving the motorist the opportunity to confirm the officers had the right suspects.
The 18-year-old driver, Cameron Cadiz, was charged with shooting at a moving vehicle and causing injury, a felony, conspiracy and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, police said. Officers said that the two juveniles faced similar charges.
They were all transported to the Manteca city jail where Cadiz was released with a citation and the juveniles were released to their parents after receiving like citations.
The random pellet gun shooting came within a week of another incident that occurred just south of Shasta School where two youths, 11 and 13, allegedly lay in wait for an eighth grader who was walking home from school when they shot him in the face, shoulder and chest.
In that case parents who witnessed the event gave chase and alerted officers to where the boys had fled. They were detained, cited and released to their parents.
In that incident, the two alleged shooters and the victim were all reportedly gang members with the shooters attending Veritas School and Sierra High.
