Two Arrested In Pair Of Coachella Shootings
Three groups were involved in a pair of shootings that sent an elementary school into lock down on Thursday afternoon.
Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies told News Channel 3 they had two suspects in custody and were looking for more.
The first shooting was fired from a vehicle at someone walking outside the Cedar Springs Apartments on Harrison Street at 2:05 p.m., according to deputies on the scene.
The second shooting happened two minutes later on Valley Road, near Valley View Elementary School, which is around the corner from the apartments.
That prompted the sheriff’s department to place the school on lockdown as they searched for the gunman or victim. The lockdown was lifted 15 minutes later, according to the Coachella Valley Unified School District superintendent’s office.
As officers investigated, a tan Dodge Stratus was seen stopping in front of a house on Nelson Avenue. As officers approached, a man got out of the car, ran and threw down a firearm when ordered to stop.
Police caught up with a man, later identified as Rogelio Aguirre, 20, of Coachella, at Harrison Street and Avenue 52. He was booked into Indio jail.
Meanwhile, the driver of the Stratus sped south on Nelson Avenue, where a Coachella police officer in the street and still investigating the earlier shots fired report ordered the motorist, at gunpoint, to stop. Instead, the driver swerved around the officer at the final moment and continued west on Valley Road.
Other officers chased the speeding Dodge west on Valley Road, across Harrison Street, and into another neighborhood. On Calle Camacho, south of Calle Zamora, the driver of the Dodge baled out and ran, while another person tried to steer the car from the passenger seat. The Dodge hit a parked van and the passenger got out and ran away.
Police did find the original driver of the car, following a brief foot chase. He was identified as Fernando Ruiz and was expected to be booked for assault with a deadly weapon — the car — on a peace officer and felony evading.
A handgun was recovered on Valley Road near Nelson Road during the police search.
Investigators said it’s still not clear whether the situation was gang related.
