Three men have been arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting in Fillmore that left an 18-year-old man wounded, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office announced Sunday.
Steven Cortez, 20, Christian Casteneda, 21, and Ricardo Magana, 21, were each booked on charges of attempted murder, vehicle theft and street terrorism, according to a news release.
Fillmore police officers and Fire Department personnel responded about 9:35 p.m. Saturday to a call reporting a gunshot victim in the area of Fourth and B streets (map), the statement said.
The injured man told police he and his brother were walking near the intersection when they were confronted by suspects in a vehicle who opened fire at them, authorities said.
The two brothers were able to run away, and the wounded man was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
A short time later, a driver lost control of a vehicle and crashed near Old Telegraph Road and State Route 126. The three occupants were taken into custody after authorities discovered the vehicle had been stolen in Ventura, the news release said.
Investigators said they determined that the suspects were responsible for the earlier shooting and were fleeing the area when the collision occurred.
Cortez, Casteneda and Magana were being held on bail of $1,010,000, $510,000 and $520,000, respectively.
They are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Ventura County Superior Court.
A follow-up investigation is being conducted by the sheriff’s Gang Unit. Anyone with information is encouraged to call Detective Doug Gojkovich at 805-765-0627.
