Yesterday afternoon at Parkway Plaza in El Cajon, a disturbing act of violence shook the local community. At around 3:00 PM, El Cajon Police were called to Spencer's after a 17-year-old was allegedly assaulted by four individuals, one of whom brandished and attempted to fire a handgun at the victim's head. The gun, fortunately, did not discharge, and the suspects fled the scene, as reported by the City of El Cajon official press release.
Detectives immediately began their investigation, reviewing surveillance footage from the store. The video material not only confirmed the reported events, but it also allowed for the clear identification of the suspects: 19-year-old Abraham Rodriguez, 24-year-old Isidro Vazquez, 23-year-old Jermaine Taylor, and a 16-year-old male juvenile. Shortly after the incident, at approximately 4:15 PM, near Broadway and Ballantyne, the four were found by detectives. Fleeing into a nearby apartment complex, three suspects were subsequently caught and arrested without incident; the fourth at a nearby business, was found.
The juvenile suspected was observed entering an apartment and was detained after he exited. Searches conducted by law enforcement led to the recovery of two handguns within the apartment. One of the firearms matched the one used in the assault, "jammed with a chambered round and showed evidence indicating a failed discharge," according to the City of El Cajon. Complicating the case further, this juvenile was already on probation for prior firearm offenses.
All suspects are currently facing multiple felony charges. The juvenile was booked into the San Diego County Juvenile Detention Facility, charged with attempted murder, conspiracy, and firearm offenses while being on probation. For their part, Rodriguez and Vazquez, also known to be on probation for prior firearm-related offenses, found themselves similarly booked into San Diego Central Jail. Alongside Taylor, they face attempted murder and conspiracy charges. While the attack's motivation is still to be uncovered, the El Cajon Police Department is actively calling for anyone with more information to come forward and contact them at (619) 579-3311 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at (888)-580-8477 or via their website.
