SAN
LEANDRO, Calif. – California Highway Patrol (CHP) detectives have arrested two
suspects in connection with a freeway shooting that led to a fiery crash in San
Leandro earlier this month.
On Tuesday,
August 6, 2024, at 7:49 p.m., officers assigned to the CHP’s Hayward Area
office were dispatched to a reported car fire on northbound Interstate-880,
north of Washington Avenue blocking lanes of traffic. Officers arrived on the scene and located the
fully engulfed vehicle in the freeway's center divider.
Soon after
arriving at the scene, officers contacted the driver of the vehicle who stated
another vehicle had pulled next to her and an occupant fired a single shot at
her vehicle. Although not injured by the
bullet, the victim’s reaction to the gunfire caused her to crash into the
center median wall, causing major damage to the vehicle which subsequently
caught fire. The driver and her juvenile
passenger were transported to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries
caused by the crash.
Detectives
assigned to the CHP’s Golden Gate Division Special Investigations Unit (SIU)
arrived on the scene and assumed the investigative lead on the case. Using information regarding the suspect
vehicle, nearby Flock Safety cameras identified a vehicle matching the suspect
vehicle description. With further
investigation, detectives identified 22-year-old Elias Jimenez and 43-year-old
Maria Martinez, both from Hayward, as suspects in the shooting.
On
Thursday, August 15, 2024, SIU detectives and a CHP Special Weapons and Tactics
(SWAT) team served search and arrest warrants at Jimenez and Martinez’s
residence. Both suspects were taken into custody without incident and a firearm
believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered. Both Jimenez and Martinez were booked into
jail on multiple felony charges including attempted murder, assault with a
deadly weapon, discharging a firearm at an occupied motor vehicle, possession
of a loaded firearm, and possession of a high-capacity magazine.
Following
the conclusion of the investigation, the case was forwarded to the Alameda
County District Attorney’s Office for review.
On Wednesday, August 21, charges were announced against both suspects
for their involvement in this incident.
The
mission of the CHP is to provide the highest level of Safety, Service, and
Security.
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