TEMECULA – A suspect believed to have shot his neighbor after an argument was arrested in Temecula.
On Thursday, March 10th, 2016, Temecula Police Department received a report of shooting in the 32400 block of Akes Pass. At the scene, the responding officers discovered male adult victim suffering from a non-life threatening gunshot wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital and is expected to survive.
After an investigation into the incident, officers pinpointed Misael Mendoza (22 years of age) as the suspect in the incident. Mendoza and the victim both reside in the same neighborhood within the city of Temecula.
According to the Riverside Sheriff’s Department, over past few months the two men have been engaged in an ongoing disagreement. On the day of the shooting, the victim was invited to the Mendoza’s residence in order settle their disagreement in supposedly a civil manner. However, it was reported that while at the residence, both men once again became engaged in an argument. In the heat of the discussion, Misael Mendoza retrieved a firearm and shot the victim.
A records check on the firearm used in the assault revealed the weapon had been reported stolen after a residential burglary occurred in 2012. Misael Mendoza was arrested on charges of Assault with a Deadly weapon and Possession of a Stolen Firearm. Mendoza was later booked into the Southwest Detention Center.
This is an on-going investigation and anyone with additional information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Detective Fisher at the Temecula Police Department at (951) 696-3000. Information can also be reported anonymously at www.riversidesheriff.org/crimetips or www.wetip.com .
