A man shot in the abdomen near Pepper Avenue and Station Drive in Colton remained hospitalized as of three weeks after the attack, even as the two men accused in the shooting have already been arrested, charged, and released on bail. The shooting happened just before noon on October 14, and investigators say it still is not clear which of the two suspects pulled the trigger.
Colton police arrested Manuel Escanuela, 44, of San Bernardino, and Matthew Figueroa, 24, of Chino, on October 22, according to San Bernardino Sun. Both men were charged with attempted murder and criminal conspiracy, Colton police officer Daniel Muro told the outlet. Muro said investigators still have not determined which suspect fired the shot that struck the victim.
How Detectives Built the Case
Detectives leaned on surveillance footage gathered during the investigation and obtained multiple search warrants for the suspects' homes, the paper reports. Those searches turned up firearms at both residences, according to Muro's account relayed to the Sun. The combination of video evidence and the weapons recovered from the two homes appears to have formed the backbone of the case that led to the arrests more than a week after the shooting.
Court records cited by the outlet show both men appeared for video arraignments on October 27. Escanuela pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and criminal conspiracy, while Figueroa also pleaded not guilty to attempted murder. According to the same court records, Figueroa additionally denied a charge of discharging a firearm and causing great bodily injury.
Suspects Released on Bail Days Later
Both men were released on bail on October 29, just two days after their arraignments, according to county inmate records referenced in the report. Meanwhile, the man who was shot in the abdomen that October day was still in the hospital as of November 4, per Muro's update to the Sun. The report does not indicate the victim's identity, age, or current medical condition beyond that date.
The shooting near Pepper Avenue and Station Drive is not the only violent incident Colton has seen this year. In a separate case in July, two men suffered life-threatening injuries in a Colton shooting, according to KTLA. In that incident, suspect Quetzalcoatl Chacon was located and arrested without incident on July 21, and authorities also arrested Serina Mota on allegations that she knowingly helped Chacon avoid arrest after the shooting, the station reported. The two cases are separate and nothing in the available record ties them together.
For now, investigators have not determined who fired the shot that left the victim hospitalized for weeks. Both Escanuela and Figueroa pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and conspiracy charges.
