PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KERO) — A parking lot dispute in front of a Porterville motel led to gunfire and an arrest, according to a release by the Porterville Police Department.
On Sunday, November 13 at 4:12 am, Porterville Police Officers responded to the 900 block of West Morton Avenue after receiving calls about gunfire by a local motel. When officers arrived, they found shell casings and identified bullet holes in a number of cars, as well as one of the rooms.
After asking the people there if they knew what had happened, detectives learned that the person who did the shooting got into an argument with people who were staying in one of the rooms at the motel. He had left the room and began firing shots back into it. He then left in a white-colored early 2000's model Mercedes sedan.
With the information they gathered, detectives with the Porterville Police Department's Special Investigations Unit were able to identify the shooter as Miguel Cervantes, 29, of Delano. Cervantes is a previously convicted felon and is prohibited from having guns or ammunition. Detectives authored a warrant for Cervantes on charges of shooting into an inhabited dwelling, negligent discharge of a firearm, assault with a deadly weapon, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and being a felon in possession of ammunition. Because police have documentation identifying Cervantes as a gang member, he was also charged with gang enhancement. This is the warrant as it was endorsed by a Superior Court judge.
With this warrant, detectives were able to arrest Cervantes without incident when they saw him walking near where he lived at 11:10 am on Friday, November 18. After arresting Cervantes, detectives authored a second warrant for his home, which was also endorsed.
A search of Cervantes' residence turned up two handguns, one of which matched the firearm discharged at the motel, and several live rounds of ammunition of various calibers.
Given this evidence, police were able to book Cervantes into the Tulare County South County Jail for the charges listed in the warrant. He is being held without bail.
Anybody with any information regarding this case or any criminal street gang activity is encouraged to contact the Porterville Police Department's Special Investigations Unit at (559) 782-7400. People can also make contact with PPD through the department's Facebook page. Responders may remain anonymous.
