In a twist of events that turns a usual traffic incident call into a crime scene, deputies in Victorville responded to what they initially thought was a routine car collision on La Mesa Road and Amethyst Road on Friday evening. According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department, once on scene, the deputies were to quickly discover a darker narrative that extended beyond the crumpled fenders and shattered headlamps.
It was approximately 8:58 p.m. when the law enforcement officers were summoned. They arrived to identify a Mercedes and a Nissan as the vehicles involved. However, soon their investigation led them to uncover that the driver of the Nissan, Osvaldo Languren Barraga, was allegedly involved in a car-to-car shooting just moments before the crash. As detailed by Sheriff-Coroner Shannon D. Dicus, a handgun was found in Barraga's vehicle following the traffic accident, leading law enforcement to arrest and book the 24-year-old Adelanto resident for attempted murder under P.C. 664/187.
The Victorville Police Department has taken the lead on this investigation, with Deputy Puga cited as the referring officer. Barraga currently awaits his time in court at the High Desert Detention Center. Case numbers 172413825 and 172413827 have been logged in connection with this incident.
The authorities are reaching out to the community to aid this ongoing investigation. Anyone with further information is urged to come forward and contact the Victorville Police Station directly. For those wishing to contribute information but remain anonymous, they can alternatively contact the We-Tip hotline or safely leave information on the We-Tip website. Referrals can potentially provide the missing pieces necessary to comprehensively piece together the events leading up to, during, and following the traffic collision and alleged shooting.
