A man was wounded in a shooting near La Puente.
California Law on Gunfire at Dwellings
Under California law, firing shots at an inhabited dwelling can be charged as a felony under Penal Code Section 246, a crime that carries a state prison sentence of three, five, or seven years, according to Cron Israels & Stark. A home is considered legally inhabited as long as it is currently used as a residence, regardless of whether anyone was in the area struck by gunfire, the firm notes.
Penal Code Section 26100 also addresses firearm discharges from vehicles: knowingly permitting someone to discharge a firearm from a vehicle is a wobbler, with a felony maximum of three years; willfully and maliciously discharging at a person outside the vehicle carries a maximum of seven years, according to Eisner Gorin LLP. The statute applies to the person who fires a weapon and to any passenger who knowingly permits a gun to be discharged from inside the vehicle.
A Pattern of Gunfire in South San Jose Hills
The shooting comes amid other firearm incidents in the community. In March, a man suffered a gunshot wound during a residential shooting in the 500 block of South Alderton Avenue, located near South Colston Avenue, according to SGV CityWatch.
A May 11 arrest was reported near Nogales High School. A Hey SoCal report published Aug. 4, 2021, said a man had died in a La Puente shooting.
An Unincorporated Area Under Industry Station's Watch
South San Jose Hills is an unincorporated census-designated place with a population of 19,855 as of the 2020 Census, bordered by La Puente and the City of Industry, per the U.S. Census Bureau. Residents often use La Puente or West Covina mailing names and ZIP codes, but policing falls to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Industry Station, which patrols a 65-square-mile area serving more than 243,000 residents across eastern San Gabriel Valley communities including La Puente, the City of Industry, and La Habra Heights.
Hoodline has previously reported on violent crime in the surrounding area, including a City of Industry homicide probe. Hey SoCal reported a fatal shooting in neighboring La Puente. No arrests have been announced in the shooting near La Puente.
