Suspects in Drive-By Shooting That Wounded Girl Surrender
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A Santa Paula man suspected of wounding a middle school student in a drive-by shooting in Ventura last month was booked into Ventura County Jail on Monday.
Juan Daniel Mendez, 19, turned himself in to Ventura police detectives Monday afternoon, and was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder, jail officials said. He was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail.
A second suspect, who police did not identify because of his age, also surrendered, police said.
The May 2 shooting occurred at 3:10 p.m. in the Cabrillo Village housing project in east Ventura, as children walked home after being dropped off by school buses.
Witnesses said the victim, a 12-year-old student of Cabrillo Middle School, was one of about 100 students walking toward the housing project.
Two carloads of suspected gang members drove through the area, shouting at one another and shooting about 10 rounds. One of the bullets struck the girl’s left arm near the elbow. She was taken by ambulance to Ventura County Medical Center, where she was treated and released.
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