A Disappearing Act In Mariposa County Shooting
View VideoMariposa County, CA — A shooting suspect escaped capture by using a trap door and left a scary find inside a home in the Bear Valley area of Mariposa County.
A neighbor, while walking on his property, recently reported that a Hispanic male adult shot at him with a handgun. The suspect then retreated to his residence and barricaded himself inside his home. The Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office and the Merced County Sheriff’s Office collaborated to search the area, using drones to monitor the property. Sheriff’s officials report, “After hours of clearing the property and attempting to make contact with the suspect, deputies got a search warrant to enter the residence.”
That night, deputies decided to storm the house. Once inside, the suspect was nowhere to be found until they discovered an escape hatch inside a crawl space that led directly to an exit at the back of the house. Additionally, four guns, including a ghost gun with no serial numbers and an AR-15 modified into a fully automatic weapon with a 50-round loaded drum, were found. Deputies also found out why the suspect had all that firepower when they uncovered a marijuana-growing operation with 2000 plants and 99 pounds of processed and packaged marijuana.
In a statement, Sheriff Jeremy Briese expressed concern about the continued rise of criminal activities and the need for stronger laws to protect communities. He thanked the Merced County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance and emphasized the importance of partnerships like this in maintaining safety in both counties.
