A 22-year-old man was found shot inside a parked vehicle near 2000 Ilex Avenue in the Nestor neighborhood Friday night, while a 43-year-old man turned up shot inside a vehicle in a gas station parking lot on the 800 block of Palomar Street in Chula Vista around the same time. Both men survived with wounds considered non-life-threatening, but investigators say neither victim, nor anyone who was with them, is willing to help figure out who pulled the trigger.
According to FOX 5 San Diego, Southern Division officers responded Friday night to reports of gunfire near the 1500 block of Green Bay Street in San Diego, which led them to the wounded 22-year-old sitting inside a parked vehicle close to Ilex Avenue. Around the same time, officers in Chula Vista found the 43-year-old victim, who was reportedly already on his way to the hospital when officers located him. Both men were transported to a local hospital by ambulance, per the outlet's report.
SDPD has confirmed that its Gang Unit is now investigating both shootings, but the department has not released suspect descriptions, confirmed any arrests, or detailed what led to the gunfire, the station notes. The lack of cooperation from both victims and the people who were with them leaves detectives with a narrower path forward, largely dependent on physical evidence, surveillance footage, and tips from the public rather than eyewitness accounts.
A Gang Unit Built for Cases Like This
The SDPD Gang Unit that has taken over the investigation is handling the case, though the current investigation is unfolding without cooperating witnesses on either end.
The shootings fall under the jurisdiction of SDPD's Southern Division, which is responsible for policing Nestor, Otay Mesa, San Ysidro, Palm City, and the Tijuana River Valley, as detailed by The Legal Departments. The division's listed station address is 1120 27th Street.
Two Cities, One Investigation
Because the shootings involved San Diego and Chula Vista, the case involves two municipal jurisdictions. The incidents occurred in separate South Bay communities, creating a potential need for coordination between local law enforcement agencies.
The 800 block of Palomar Street has seen violent crime before: Chula Vista police investigated a fatal stabbing outside a commercial gas station on that same block on the preceding Tuesday night, as reported by CBS 8 San Diego in an October 12, 2025 report. The Otay Mesa-Nestor community planning area is also referenced in city planning materials cited by The Legal Departments.
Why Gang Charges Face a Higher Bar
Even with the Gang Unit leading the investigation, any potential gang enhancement charges would face a demanding legal standard. California Penal Code 186.22, part of the Street Terrorism Enforcement and Prevention Act, allows for additional consecutive prison sentences ranging from two years to life for felonies committed to benefit a criminal street gang, according to FindLaw. The statute requires prosecutors to show that predicate gang offenses produced direct, collective benefits rather than mere reputational gain.
That heightened standard, paired with uncooperative victims and witnesses, means investigators will likely lean heavily on forensic evidence and surveillance footage rather than firsthand accounts as the case develops. The availability of evidence can shape how gang-related cases develop.
This is not the first violent firearm case to draw scrutiny in the immediate area. In September 2025, Hoodline reported that police made a third arrest in a Nestor double homicide in which two men were shot to death inside separate campers near 2002 Sunset Avenue, in the Nestor neighborhood where Friday's shooting also occurred.
How to Report a Tip
Anyone with information about either shooting is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers, according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Office. Tips can be submitted by phone at 888-580-8477.
