Authorities in California say a motorist was killed and another passenger injured in a shooting that involved occupants firing from another car.
According to KCRA, 36-year-old Alejandro Escobar was driving along Highway 70 in Yuba County on May 22 with two of his nephews in the vehicle with him.
Escobar was killed and one of the other occupants was injured. That victim was reportedly transported to an area hospital for treatment and released the following day.
An sheriff’s office investigation led to the arrest of three suspects: 21-year-old Vivion Wallace, 20-year-old Avery Sanchez, and 19-year-old Juan Antonio Barajas. The first two are expected to face criminal charges including murder while Barajas was arrested on suspicion of acting as an accessory to the crime.
Police reports indicate investigators reviewed a substantial amount of surveillance footage from the area and were able to pinpoint a vehicle matching the suspects’ car.
All three suspects were arrested on Thursday and booked into Yuba County jail.
As of the latest updates available, police do not believe the suspects knew their victims, indicating the fatal interaction appears to be a case of road rage.
The deceased victim’s wife and her daughter expressed their outrage and grief after learning of Escobar’s death.
“My heart dropped,” Jesseida Escobar said of learning that her husband was killed, adding that it gave her “a little bit of closure” to learn that the suspects had been arrested.
Her daughter, 13-year-old Maria Texis, said that it appeared the suspects “basically looked like they didn’t care for what they did.”
[Featured image: Vivion Wallace, Avery Sanchez and Juan Barajas, Yuba County Sheriff’s Office]
