A man was taken into custody and is accused of firing toward a victim of a fight and five police officers who responded to the scene at Rita Ranch Monday night.
Francisco Saucedo, 19, was booked into the Pima County jail on suspicion of five counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, drive-by shooting and discharging a firearm within city limits, said Officer Chris Hawkins, a ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Police Department spokesman.
On Monday shortly before 6:30 p.m., officers were dispatched to a report of a fight involving a firearm near Rita Ranch Storage, Car & Dog Wash at 7850 S. Rita Road, said Hawkins.
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Officers found the victim who said that two known associates threatened him with a gun and left in a vehicle. As the victim and officers were talking to each other in front of the business, the victim noticed a dirt bike approaching and he told officers he believed the the driver and passenger on the bike were involved in the early fight, Hawkins said.
As the dirt bike traveled past the business, the passenger fired several gunshots. Officers and the victim took cover and officers did not return fire, Hawkins said. After determining no one was injured, officers attempted to follow the dirt bike, but lost sight of it.
The helicopter unit was called in and the air crew located the dirt bike and suspects at a house in the 9000 block of East Lippia Street. The neighborhood is east of South Rita Road and north of East Old Vail Road.
Patrol officers were directed to the house by the helicopter crew, and as officers approached a vehicle left the house and was stopped a short distance away. Saucedo was in the vehicle and identified as the shooter and taken into custody, Hawkins said.
Detectives of the aggravated assault and gang units collected shell casings and bullet fragments at the scene where the shots were fired. The investigation is ongoing with the possibility of more arrests, Hawkins said.
Anyone with information is asked to call 88-CRIME, an anonymous tipster hotline.
Contact reporter Carmen Duarte at cduarte@tucson.com or 573-4104. On Twitter: @cduartestar
CLOSE CALL! VIDEO of suspect shooting at officers & victim during Jan 8, 2018 investigation on ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s Southeast side. Thankfully no one was injured. For more info see:
— ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Police Dept (@ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥_Police)
