A Stockton teenager has been arrested in an attempted murder in the Mount Pleasant Shopping Center that police say was gang related.
The 17-year-old is accused of shooting a man inside a business in the 3000 block of Story Road on the east side of San Jose about 2:52 p.m. on Jan. 10, police said Friday.
The victim was taken to a local hospital where his injuries were later determined to be non-life threatening.
“This case highlights the serious dangers of gang-related violence involving our youth,” San Jose Police Chief Paul Joseph said in a press release.
The suspect fled before police arrived. Officers located a “privately manufactured firearm” and a loaded extended magazine at the scene, police said.
Officers using automated license plate reader cameras identified the suspect’s vehicle and found it unoccupied.
Detectives searched the suspect’s residence in Stockton on Wednesday and found evidence related to the crime, police said.
“This is a grim reminder of how early gangs can pull young people into violent crime — and why we need earlier intervention to keep kids from being exploited, along with state laws that reflect the reality of modern crime,” San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said in a press release.
“I’m grateful the victim survived, and that our police department’s fast, coordinated response — using tools like automatic license plate readers and our real-time intelligence center — prevented further tragedy.”
Anyone with information about these cases or similar cases is asked to contact Detective Minkel at 5003@sanjoseca.gov or Detective Garcia at 5026@sanjoseca.gov or the San Jose Police Department Gang Investigations Unit at (408) 277-3835.
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