ARREST MADE IN SPRING VALLEY SHOOTING: SUSPECT HAD ILLEGAL AR-15 GHOST GUN

East County News Service

 

September 28, 2023 (Spring Valley) -- A man is in custody in connection with a shooting in Spring Valley. The shooting happened on September 4 around 1:00 a.m. near the 10000 block of Chavacan Lane. 

Deputies from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff's Station arrived at the location and found over a dozen gun casings, along with multiple bullet holes to a nearby home. No one was hurt

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An investigation was immediately conducted by detectives from the Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s station with additional assistance from the San Diego Police Department. Sheriff's Detectives were able to identify Benjamin Bautista, 46, as the suspect in the shooting.

On Wednesday, September 27 around 8:00 a.m., Rancho San Diego detectives, along with their Crime Suppression Team arrested Bautista near the 3200 block of Towser Street in San Diego. 

 “An AR-15 ghost gun and multiple high-capacity magazines were located by the San Diego Police Department during a related investigation,” says Detective James Walker with the Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s station. “The firearm has been linked to the September 4 shooting and is in the custody of the Sheriff's Department. We thank the San Diego Police Department for their assistance in our investigation.”

Bautista was booked into the San Diego Central Jail. He is currently facing charges of shooting at an inhabited dwelling and negligent discharge of a firearm.