An 18-year-old San Jose resident has been arrested in connection with a gang-motivated shooting that left an unoccupied vehicle riddled with bullets earlier this summer, authorities announced Monday.
Tye Mendoza was taken into custody in San Jose on Aug. 11 with the assistance of the San Jose Police Department’s Covert Response Unit.
While executing a search warrant at Mendoza’s residence, detectives recovered a loaded, privately made short-barreled rifle and a loaded semi-automatic pistol, according to the San Jose Police Department.
The arrest stems from an incident that occurred on June 1. At approximately 2:41 p.m., patrol officers responded to reports of gunfire in a neighborhood near Lavander Avenue and Palmia Drive.
While the shooter had fled before police arrived, officers found multiple shell casings and an unoccupied vehicle that had been struck several times by gunfire.
A preliminary investigation indicated the shooting was gang motivated. The department’s Gang Investigations Unit took over the case, eventually identifying Mendoza as the primary suspect and securing warrants for his arrest and the search of his home.
Mendoza was booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, shooting into a vehicle and various firearm-related offenses.
Police are asking anyone with information regarding this case, or similar incidents, to contact Detective Moreno, badge No. 4882, of the Gang Investigations Unit via email at 4882@sanjoseca.gov or by calling 408-277-3835.
Anonymous tips can be submitted via the P3TIPS mobile app, by calling the tip line at 408-947-STOP or through the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers website. Tips that lead to an arrest are eligible for a cash reward from the Silicon Valley Crime Stoppers Program.