By Lanz Christian Banes
Vallejo Times Herald
VALLEJO, Calif. — A Vallejo man was critically wounded in a Sunday night after he was shot in the face, law enforcement officials said.
The man, who has not been identified, was found at about 7:30 p.m. in the parking area of an apartment complex on 1500 Napa St., according to witnesses at the scene.
Blood splattered his arm and upper torso as paramedics lifted him into an ambulance.
Though he was conscious and talking to emergency personnel, Assistant Fire Chief Greg Falkenthal characterized his condition as “serious to critical.”
Vallejo Police Sgt. John Whitney said he expects the man to live.
The bullet struck the victim in his jaw, knocking out a tooth, he added.
The victim, who officers believe lives in the complex, was taken by air ambulance to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek, Falkenthal said.
It is unclear what lead up to the shooting.
Two suspects walking northbound on Napa Street allegedly sprayed the apartment complex with bullets, Whitney said.
Witnesses at the scene reported hearing anywhere from two to eight shots, though officers were still collecting shell casings and could not comment on the number of shots fired by press time.
“Everybody out there has not been very cooperative,” Whitney said of the ongoing investigation.
Neither of the suspects have been caught.
“I’m usually not too brave to come out here at night,” said Peg Elliott, 66, who lives on the 800 block of Alabama Street, just one block from where yellow police tape cordoned off the area around 1500 Napa St.
Both Elliott and neighbor Adrian Covarrubias, 46, characterize the neighborhood as relatively quiet as they watched police officers continue their investigation.
“It’s pretty safe,” said Covarrubias, who has lived there for about 10 years.
No further information was available by press time.
Copyright 2009 The Times-Herald