Crime & Safety

Shooters Not Found in Monday's I-780 Gunfire Near Benicia

SWAT teams from the Benicia and Vallejo police departments ended a search around 5 p.m. Monday for two occupants of a vehicle who were suspected of shooting at another vehicle on Interstate Highway 780.

The two male suspects fled toward an apartment complex on Warwick Drive when their vehicle spun out on the highway, Benicia police Lt. Frank Hartig said.

The SWAT teams searched near the apartment complex and at town homes at Sunset and Clear View circles, Hartig said.

The Robert Sample Elementary School at 2015 E. Third St. was locked down for about 30 minutes.

The two suspects were traveling west on I-780 east of E. Fifth St. when shots were fired from their 2005 Honda Accord at a 2003 Ford Focus around 1:30 p.m., CHP Officer Chris Parker said.

The driver of the Ford spun out on the left side of the E. Second St. off-ramp.
  
An off-duty Solano County sheriff's deputy arrested the Ford driver when he tried to flee, Parker said.

Two of the bullets fired from the Honda struck the Ford, and one hit the Circle Food Mart at 1527 E. Fifth St., Parker said. No one was injured.

The Honda continued on westbound I-780 before it spun out on the right side of the highway near the Southampton Road off-ramp and stopped in a dirt shoulder, Parker said.

Hartig said a handgun was found in bushes in the back of an apartment at 138 Warwick Drive.

The Benicia and Vallejo SWAT teams were training at the time, and they were deployed to search for the suspects, Hartig said.

Copyright © 2014 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.