Police have arrested 24-year-old Enrique Ayon on suspect for the highway shootings that happened on Monday.
On Tuesday afternoon California Highway Patrol announced an arrest Tuesday in a series of highway shootings that injured one driver and shut down large sections of two interstates Monday, but they didn't specify it was Ayon until late Tuesday night.
At approximately, 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, a driver on the 210 freeway north of Los Angeles recognized the license and make of a car wanted in connection with the San Diego shootings and called 911.
CHP officers pulled the car over alongside the Foothill (210) Freeway near Osborne Street in Lake View Terrace and arrested one person described as a Hispanic male.
The man had no identification on him according to spokesperson Art Athans. He has been detained and is in the process of being interviewed Athans said.
Athans had no information on what weapons were found in the car.
The shootings were believed to be random beginning around 10:30 a.m. Monday on northbound Interstate 805 near Plaza Boulevard.
Within 20 minutes, the CHP received reports of three other shootings on San Diego County highways.
CHP officers from the San Diego area are traveling to Los Angeles to interview the man in custody.
Highway signs helped in the search for a possible suspect vehicle, a white 2006 Chevy Malibu, California license 5POM917. Witnesses told investigators two suspects with a semi-automatic gun were last seen driving northbound on Interstate 5 in the Carmel Valley area.
Late Monday, the CHP released the photo of Ayon, as a person of interest. Ayon is 5'8", 190 lbs with black hair and brown eyes. He may have been involved in the shootings or may have information pertaining to the shootings officials said.
In their search for evidence, investigators closed northbound I-805 from Interstate 8 to State Route 163, northbound Interstate 5 from the I-805 merge and northbound I-805 between State Route 54 and Plaza Boulevard Monday.
Officers walked stretches of the highway often crouching down examining crevices in the pavement.
San Diego crime lab technicians are conducting ballistics on the bullet and the bullet fragments found in the vehicles Monday according to Athans. Preliminary tests show they were all from the same caliber gun Athans said.
During the search for a suspect and a motive, drivers around San Diego felt uneasy.
"I think it's terrible. I hope he gets caught," said Steve Mikolajczak.
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"It is alarming especially so many and so close to where you're at," said driver Susan Daly. " I did look for a white Chevy Malibu on the way home."
The 26-year-old driver injured in the highway shootings was shot in the leg and was transported to Sharp Memorial Hospital for treatment. He was released within hours.
The driver of the second vehicle, a black four-door Volvo sedan, was Marcus Eagles, 37, of Paradise Valley. He said a passing car pulled up to him and fired once at his car. The bullet entered the rear driver's side door.
The Plaza Blvd. shooting could be the first incident in the shooting spree, according to National City police.
"We don't know where they were going, we don't know the motive," said National City Chief of Police Adolfo Gonzales. "There were no words exchanged, there were no gang signs exchanged, none of that seen, so we don't know the motive for the shooting at this time."
"We're very concerned when innocent people are being shot at for no particular reason, in this case there were multiple incidents, not one isolated incident, so I think they have something in their mind," Gonzales said.
Officers also reported the suspect or suspects shot at a California Highway Patrol vehicle near NB I-805 and the NB SR-163.
A fourth shooting occurred on the NB I-5 at Del Mar Heights, where the suspects shot at a passing ambulance.
The shooting spree may be related to a hit and run. A 911 call around 10:22 a.m. reported a Chevy Malibu striking a gate on San Ysidro Blvd. and fleeing the scene of the accident.
Ayon will be arraigned tomorrow and is currently booked in San Diego County Jail downtown.
View Locations of Highway Shootings on Oct. 3, 2011 in a larger map
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