Location: Santa Fe Rd. and Second Drive, Cutler

Incident Date: 11-22-15

Incident Time: 1800

Case Number: 15-14862

Posted by: Media Relations

***UPDATE****

Suspect In Custody:

Uriel Perez   Age: 19 yrs.

Address: Orosi area

Charges: PC-245 (Assault with a deadly weapon) / PC-186.22 (Gang Crime)

On 11/22/2015 at approx.1800 hours, Deputies were contacted by the (V), who reported that he had been shot at in the area of Santa Fe Rd. and Second Drive in Cutler.  (V) stated while driving in the area he was followed by a blue van occupied by three male subjects.  (V) stated as he turned onto Rd. Second Drive from Santa Fe Rd., the driver of the suspect vehicle shot several times at him.  (V) stated his vehicle was struck by the gunfire several times but he was not injured.  The (S) vehicle then fled the area.  The case was subsequently turned over to investigators with the Gang Violence Suppression Unit.  Detectives begun working active leads and were subsequently able to identify the shooting suspect and the suspect vehicle.  Investigators were also able to determine possible motive for this crime to be gang related as the victim and suspect in this case are of rival gangs.    

On 12-17-15 at approx. 0700 hours, Investigators with the Gang Violence Suppression Unit and the assistance of the Interagency Gang Enforcement Team (IGET), members of the T.A.R.G.E.T (Multi-Agency Task Force) and California Department of Corrections (Special Service Unit) conducted a search warrant at the suspect residence in Orosi. As a result of the search warrant and evidence collected, (S) Uriel Perez, who was identified as the shooter, was taken into custody and booked at the Tulare County Pre-Trial Facility on the above listed charges.  

The investigation is continuing and more arrests are pending. No other information is being released at this time. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department Gang Violence Suppression Unit, Detective Matt Rascon or Sergeant Steve Sanchez at (559) 733-6218 or (800) 808-0488.

Anonymous information about this crime can be reported via Tipnow  

email tcso@tipnow.net  txt or voicemail at 559-725-4194 or download the Tipnow app for Android or Apple phones